Inclusive Experiences Questions

[buffcollege]

We have booked the Aurea Experience for the January 31st sailing on Divina and have a few questions...

 

My Choice Dinner..can we choose or show up at a different time each night?

 

What are the chances we are able to sit by ourselves at dinner? I will be traveling with my wife and 3 year old daughter and dinner time is not always smooth.

 

Free unlimited drinks....is that anywhere on the ship?

 

Thanks!!

[Thompsolonian]

I believe with the "my Choice Dining" it means that you can shoose early or late seating. That will be your seating time throughout the cruise.

 

If you booked through a TA, you may want to have them call MSC to verify your dining choice and to ask the questions you have. If you booked through MSC, call them with youre RES # and make your selection of dining. That would also be a good time to see if you could get your own 4 person table. If they can no tdo it before you board, ask the MD to see if they can make any changes.

 

As for the drinks, I am sure that would be anywhere on the ship.

 

Have fun! Enjoy your cruise and let me know how it is, I am sailing the Divina for the first time in February.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Thompsolonian

[buffcollege]

Thanks for the info.

 

Wondering if anyone might have any additional insight on the inclusive experiences?

[Skipper Tim]

No, the 'Free time' dining means you can turn up at the section of the MDR allocated to it at any time during stated opening times. I haven't tried it, nor would I want to, but I would expect it will operate much as open-seating works at breakfast and lunch where the staff will try and seat you with the people arriving at the same time.

 

There are relatively few tables for two or four so you may need to be lucky and insistent to be able to get one. Once the staff are trained to your ways, it should be more straightforward especially if you get there bang on opening time.

 

You may find it easier to opt for a fixed sitting with an allocated table. Talk to the maitre d' when you first board, and certainly before the first dinner, to obtain a table and sitting you like.

[Thompsolonian]

No, the 'Free time' dining means you can turn up at the section of the MDR allocated to it at any time during stated opening times. I haven't tried it, nor would I want to, but I would expect it will operate much as open-seating works at breakfast and lunch where the staff will try and seat you with the people arriving at the same time.

 

There are relatively few tables for two or four so you may need to be lucky and insistent to be able to get one. Once the staff are trained to your ways, it should be more straightforward especially if you get there bang on opening time.

 

You may find it easier to opt for a fixed sitting with an allocated table. Talk to the maitre d' when you first board, and certainly before the first dinner, to obtain a table and sitting you like.

 

Correct!

 

From the MSC website regarding the Experiences

 

 

"Can customers choose their dining time with the Bella Experience?

 

 

Customers can request early or late seating, but priority will be given to Fantastica Experience guests. Dining time will be confirmed once on board."

 

 

"What does My Choice Dining mean?

 

 

Aurea Experience guests are able to dine anytime during restaurant hours in a dedicated area. Guests will choose their My Choice Dining time once on board. Times based on availability. Reservations with Maître d’ are recommended."

 

http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/Multimedia/MSC-Cruises-New-Pricing-FAQ.aspx#msc1

Edited November 24, 2014 by Thompsolonian

[AmoMondo]

I could be wrong but that sounds like they expect you to choose your My Time and stick to it - could be wrong though.

 

It is early days for these experiences, so time will tell what it truly means. It is often difficult to understand what MSC intend!

[Skipper Tim]

I could be wrong but that sounds like they expect you to choose your My Time and stick to it - could be wrong though.

 

It is early days for these experiences, so time will tell what it truly means. It is often difficult to understand what MSC intend!

 

Indeed, that does sound like different information and, agreed, this being MSC, we cannot rely upon it.

 

Headquarters should be moved to a ship where they have some idea of what is going on.

[buffcollege]

I agree that it sounds like MSC wants us to stick to a certain dinner time. :rolleyes: Maybe I can get the Maitre d' to work with us.

 

Being that the Experiences are new, it will be interesting to see the reviews that come in once guest experience the Experiences.

 

I am OK with paying the extra $, just want to make sure I understand what I am paying for. Too many gray areas on the Q&A.

 

Thank you all for helping me understand MCS.

[moomoocow]

I could be wrong but that sounds like they expect you to choose your My Time and stick to it - could be wrong though.

 

It is early days for these experiences, so time will tell what it truly means. It is often difficult to understand what MSC intend!

 

 

Absolutely correct. When you board you will be asked what time you'd like to dine in half hour slots between 6pm and 9pm. Say you choose 7.30pm then that's your dining time for the entire cruise.

 

 

From my ipad

[Beamafar]

Absolutely correct. When you board you will be asked what time you'd like to dine in half hour slots between 6pm and 9pm. Say you choose 7.30pm then that's your dining time for the entire cruise.

 

 

From my ipad

 

Sounds very similar to the situation in YC. For logistical reasons you are asked to nominate a time you'd like to dine even though, technically, you're supposed to be able to turn up any time during dinnertimes.

[maryann2]

We have booked the Aurea Experience for the January 31st sailing on Divina and have a few questions...

 

My Choice Dinner..can we choose or show up at a different time each night?

 

What are the chances we are able to sit by ourselves at dinner? I will be traveling with my wife and 3 year old daughter and dinner time is not always smooth.

 

Free unlimited drinks....is that anywhere on the ship?

 

Thanks!!

 

I was seated near the`Any time`dining area on the Divina in September. There are many tables for two in that section so they would easily be able to accommodate the 3 of you.

 

The free drinks are available throughout the ship except room service. Not sure about the specialty restaurant though.

[DutchBunny]

Are there already more people who have expierence with the new expierences? And especially with the Aurea experiencet? We are thinking about the Aurea experience on a Middle East cruise on the Musica in January 2016.

 

So any recent info is welcome!

[NB0776]

We did the transatlantic from Hamburg to Buenos Aires in November on the Magnifica in Aurea and we experienced a totally free dining time. However that said, we always had dinner past 8 pm (loved the Allegrissimo cocktails) but we really could show up whenever we wanted.

And as far as I can remember only 2 and 4 seat tables. We were always asked if we wanted to sit by ourselves or If we wanted the company of others.

And sometimes we wanted to be on ourselves and sometimes we didn't. And after 3 weeks you know most of your fellow diners.

All in all a very positive experience and for us another reason to book Aurea again.

[buffcollege]

Great information and thanks for keeping the thread alive. Our cruise is just a week away and we look forward to the new adventure the inclusive experience will bring. Keeping my fingers crossed that the Divina is just as flexible as the Magnifica.

 

If anyone else has feedback on the Experience levels, please post.

[Skier52]

My information is based on a Mediterranian cruise taken Dec 2014 in an Aurea balcony suite on Sinfonia, so may be considered recent

Don't forget the complimentary Bali massage

 

We have booked the Aurea Experience for the January 31st sailing on Divina and have a few questions...

 

My Choice Dinner..can we choose or show up at a different time each night?

THe Aurea guests have a dedicated part of an MDR and can choose any time they like, including diferent times each day, but that is by arrangement with the dedicated Aurea Supremo who will introduce themselves as part of embarkation

 

What are the chances we are able to sit by ourselves at dinner? I will be traveling with my wife and 3 year old daughter and dinner time is not always smooth.

Aurea guests are free to have a table for themselves or share with other Auea guests

Free unlimited drinks....is that anywhere on the ship?

The package in the Med is the Allegrissimo basic and wotks anywhere on the ship

 

Are there already more people who have expierence with the new expierences? And especially with the Aurea experiencet? We are thinking about the Aurea experience on a Middle East cruise on the Musica in January 2016.

 

So any recent info is welcome!

 

The experiences should be the same on All ships provided it has the facilities. Not sure what drinks pavkages are available in different cruiseing regions

FRom the FAQs on the MSC UK site

Does the 'Experience' always contain the same items?

 

 

Yes, the experiences are always the same.

E.g. "Fantastica" FEATURESthe same items right across Cabin categories & Ships

 

 

Back to top

Are there any differences between ships?

 

 

The items featured in each ‘Experience’ are always the same. Though, for the sun deck there are slight variations due to different characteristics of each class of ships. Hence, the reserved sun deck is not always the same and it has been specifically identified ship by ship:

 

• Fantasia class: Top deck18

• Lirica class: Deck 13 (bow sundeck)

• Musica class: Deck 16 (bow solarium). On MSC Magnifica there will also be a cafè.

 

 

 

Pete

Edited January 26, 2015 by Skier52

[Skier52]

You can read my expreience of the Aurea Eperience in my review on the lnk below.

 

 

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=270&t=9372

 

Pete

[DutchBunny]

You can read my expreience of the Aurea Eperience in my review on the lnk below.

 

 

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=270&t=9372

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete,

Will definite read it. But thanks already for the info.

With reading about all the benefits it is definite worth the extra money. I see that it also gives priority with boarding the ship. So we will for sure go for the Aurea. We will only wait a while with the booking because flights are not yet available and I also expect that there will be special offers for both flights and cruise in this particular time of the year.