Bar drink price increase and Classic Beverage Package

[jess_2012#1]

17 minutes ago, slei15 said:

 

About 26 hours for the initial email, and 40 minutes on the follow up. On Facebook for another question about 2 hours. 

 

MSCExistingReservations@msccruisesusa.com

Thanks!! I’ll try this one as I emailed off the website Monday morning. 

[Epos Man]

9 hours ago, Até said:

I think that is misleading people.  The Classic package as booked has a cocktail limit of $8, a wine limit of $7.50 and a beer limit of $6.50/pint and $5.50/bottle.  The new Seaside bar menu that was posted had no cocktails and one draft beer (Heineken) that met those Classic package limits as booked.  Wines were not shown, but the new Divina Eataly Marketplace bar menu was also posted and it had one "house" wine that meets the Classic package limit.  When I booked the Classic package many cocktails, beers and a few wines were within the package limits, now they are possibly not.  I have asked MSC this specific question and have not received a response.

 

Actually on the UK website the classic package had no dollar limit mentioned on the last 2 cruises we had in the med the menus had asteriks on the drinks that you could not have

[FGJones]

9 hours ago, slei15 said:

It was to me from MSC USA customer service email. They told me I would receive the deluxe package as booked based on the chart they had out. 

 

Thats what I was hoping to hear but the person who responded to me said that Premium is the new name for Deluxe so I now have Premium.  Is Premium+ offered on your itinerary? It’s not listed as an option for mine.  I asked the follow up about the mini bar and have not gotten a reply. 

[sidari]

Ate ... You are letting the £,$ signs blur your vision, it does not matter what the prices are if you have the previous packages, if as they say MSC honour the actual package as it was.

 

FGJ ... Deluxe will remain Deluxe on your cruise not Premium! according to what everyone else is being told, we will be taking a copy of the email we received saying so.

[Todd320]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

Ate ... You are letting the £,$ signs blur your vision, it does not matter what the prices are if you have the previous packages, if as they say MSC honour the actual package as it was.

 

 

Sidari.... You may be correct but there is a difference between honoring the old package and honoring the old drink prices vs using the old package with the new drink prices.  I have not seen it reported that MSC will honor the old drink prices. 

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Todd320

[ready2cruzagain]

4 minutes ago, Todd320 said:

 

Sidari.... You maybe correct but there is a difference between honoring the old package and honoring the old drink prices vs using the old package with the new drink prices.  I have not seen it reported that MSC will honor the old drink prices. 

 

 

I agree. I sent MSC an email just a while ago asking about this exact question.  We board the Divina Sunday for 32 days and upgraded to the Classic Package and as of right now if I were to go by the prices on the new bar menu then we can't even get a pina colada or a decent beer.  Miller Lite and Heine!  Hopefully they will answer me soon.  You would think there would be a lot of people that just got off of the Divina last Thursday and off of the Seaside Sunday on here saying something if their packages were not honored.

[Janedoe2012]

Take a look at post #27 & #29 in this string from "Cruiseguyinorl". Bret is a pretty reliable source.  Heis a travel agent and seems to have decent contacts at MSC

 

 

[FGJones]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

FGJ ... Deluxe will remain Deluxe on your cruise not Premium! according to what everyone else is being told, we will be taking a copy of the email we received saying so.

 

The email I received says that I will have the Premium plan, so taking a copy of that will not help me at all. 

 

My booking still shows Deluxe so hopefully this is just someone guessing at an answer they don't really have.  

Edited November 14, 2018 by FGJones

[Até]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

Ate ... You are letting the £,$ signs blur your vision, it does not matter what the prices are if you have the previous packages, if as they say MSC honour the actual package as it was.

Perhaps I'm letting my past experiences on NCL affect my willingness to believe MSC will allow that.  As I stated earlier NCL pulled that trick on me twice and when I got on the ship many drinks were either no longer available by the glass or repriced above the drink package limit - but I still had the package as I purchased it so no recourse.  If MSC honors six overlapping packages that use different price points I can't imagine how complicated that will become for the IT people to code in what drinks used to be included in what package, regardless of current price.  I don't know their system so it may be easier than I think.  It seems it would be so much easier to just grandfather all the old packages into their closest corresponding new package.  I know we're talking MSC here....

 

I did see cruiseguyinorl's post in the other thread: "My understanding from the conversation is that new drink prices will have no effect. Whatever drinks were available on the "old" Classic menu will still be available even at the new price points."  He does have good connections, but I have yet to see a direct corporate response to that specific question nor received a response when I asked.  Therefore I await reports from those with the Classic package on the next few sailings.

[Até]

5 hours ago, ikea logistics said:

Actually on the UK website the classic package had no dollar limit mentioned on the last 2 cruises we had in the med the menus had asteriks on the drinks that you could not have

For US bookings we are dealing with specific dollar limitations such that the new pricing would reduce the selection tremendously.  Compare the dollar amounts from the attached brochure to the new menu prices in the first posts of this thread and figure out what you can have with the Classic package.  Note there are no asterisks on this menu.  At least on Seaside, MSC has moved to a premium section not shown in these photos.

 

2018 Drink Package Comparison Guide with Drinks On Us (Version2).pdf

[CruisingFox27]

The $ or price limitation is more confusing for those who've only been used to just reviewing if the drinks have an asterisk as Ikea says. If honoring our existing classic drink selection we'll need those asterisk to be present not just a price.

[Epos Man]

39 minutes ago, Até said:

For US bookings we are dealing with specific dollar limitations such that the new pricing would reduce the selection tremendously.  Compare the dollar amounts from the attached brochure to the new menu prices in the first posts of this thread and figure out what you can have with the Classic package.  Note there are no asterisks on this menu.  At least on Seaside, MSC has moved to a premium section not shown in these photos.

 

2018 Drink Package Comparison Guide with Drinks On Us (Version2).pdf

 

 

But what I am saying is that on the uk booking site and as i am in the uk the all inclusive classic which is what I booked on the seaside shows no dollar limit amount it doesnt even say up to a certain amount it just says premium spirits are excluded etc

[Até]

35 minutes ago, ikea logistics said:

But what I am saying is that on the uk booking site and as i am in the uk the all inclusive classic which is what I booked on the seaside shows no dollar limit amount it doesnt even say up to a certain amount it just says premium spirits are excluded etc

I haven't ever seen a true list of what the UK bookings actually get with the Classic package.  I never trusted the UK website/brochure description because it was always very vague:  "Unlimited spirits...range of cocktails...selection of wines...draught and bottled beer...."  I guess this didn't fly in the US so MSC US published a fairly accurate actual list of what drinks/items were covered and gave dollar limit amounts so you could look at a menu and actually see what was truly included.  Regardless, there is a document currently on MSC's US site showing the Classic package still with dollar limits that make 95% of the beverages (based on the pictures of the new Seaside drink menu) out of reach, MSC needs to clarify if those Classic package limits still hold with the new drink pricing.

[sidari]

The UK website now shows the drink prices per item on the Homepage for each package since yesterday.

[Até]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

The UK website now shows the drink prices per item on the Homepage for each package since yesterday.

I didn't see that this morning.  Easy gets up to €6, Premium gets up to €10 and Premium Plus has no limit - except an available by the glass one which I'm pretty sure is designed to eliminate Champagne.  This makes me think the new menus like Seaside has with prices and no asterisks might be rolled out fleet wide.  I still have no idea what beverages are/were included in the UK Classic plan, if they were ever different than what the US plan shows.

[schiff1997]

21 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

I guess I will find out Sunday and will let you know.

 

Here’s the response I got through messenger although my question about price increases has yet to be viewed and answered 

[ready2cruzagain]

12 minutes ago, schiff1997 said:

Here’s the response I got through messenger although my question about price increases has yet to be viewed and answered 

 

Yeah, that is my concern.  They keep saying the classic package will be honored but won't respond to the question about the price increase and the drinks under the classic package are more now than when I upgraded.  Sent an email at 6am this morning concerning this and no answer yet.

[sidari]

Ate ... The Classic and Deluxe was only available for US sailings for UK customers, the UK and Europe had different packages for European sailings.

I posted the current brochure 2018/19 drink packages yesterday if that helps.

I read a post a few minutes ago on facebook that no decision has been made on D.O.U / Upgrade ! well people will be sailing in the next few days so they better get a move on.

[Até]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

Ate ... The Classic and Deluxe was only available for US sailings for UK customers, the UK and Europe had different packages for European sailings....

Yes, UK/EU has/had some weird drink package rules.  What I was getting at though is that none of them listed what actual drinks or dollar amounts you were entitled to.  The US site for some reason published that information as the comparison guide.  Now we are seeing UK with posted Euro amounts.  Right now I'm not sure which is better, I guess it depends on whether MSC uses it against us with drink price increases.

 

Just as with ready2cruzeagain I still have no response to my direct question about honoring the booked package beverage choices after pricing increases, other than an auto response that they received it.

[1stcruise2018]

I'm sailing Seaview in April 2019 & the deluxe package is still available for me to book online, alongside the new packages.

[Até]

I've noticed on many sailings that Aurea cabins cannot be booked.  Hopefully MSC is listening to our concerns and will revise what they might do to the Classic drink plan.  Still no response from my email or phone call question as to which drinks will be included if they continue with a drink price increase.  I'll take that as a good thing since I figure they are at least re-thinking about what they are doing. 

 

I still don't understand why they are making this so hard.   How many people here would have been mad if they just said Classic becomes Premium and Deluxe becomes Premium Plus?  Sure there would still be some gelato/crepe hold outs, but the Premium Plus no price limit is a big deal - even for those in YC.  I don't even have a problem with them changing Aurea to Easy on future bookings.  Just not retroactive to past bookings, which is basically what MSC was proposing for past Classic purchases.  Those who missed out on upgrading with the old packages, myself included, will just have to pay the new package pricing for upgrading.

 

I can understand their need to increase drink prices, I have always considered MSC one of the best deals at sea.  In my opinion in making this change they did the right thing for Deluxe, essentially moving them to Premuim Plus.  I have one YC Deluxe booking that is affected and I could care less as I will get the same basic value after any changes.  I have three bookings with Classic and feel MSC decided to cheap out on those.  MSC really needs to keep those previously booked under Classic with the same value/choices by either increasing the dollar limits or moving us to Premium.  I do not feel "You will get the package you booked" is a valid answer without a guarantee the drink choices will not be drastically affected by price increases.  Still awaiting a response from MSC....

Edited November 16, 2018 by Até

[sidari]

Ate ... I for one disagree with you about Aurea remaining with the Easy package, the reason being that on Miami sailings upto November 12th Aurea as you know had Classic packages which could be upgraded to Deluxe as we have done for our upcoming Xmas cruise, the cost to up grade was about $9 pp pd taking into mind exchange rates for the UK at around £6 pp pd x 10 night cruise total £120  for 2 people to upgrade to Deluxe.

In order for us here in the UK to do the same as only the Plus package has the mini bar included it will be a silly amount.

Aurea with Easy at £270  to Premium plus at £610, the price difference £340, or £34 pp pd An Increase of £28 pp pd!  from previous prices, 10 night cruise £28 x 10 = £280 pp.

 

Now if it was that Aurea had Premium, the difference would be £480 to Premium Plus at £610, the price difference £130 or £13 pp pd. 10 night cruise £13 x 10 = £130 pp

 

The price of the jump from premium to plus works out eventually to a Double digit increase of around £13/$18 pp pd compared to £28/$36 pp pd Easy to Plus.

 

[Epos Man]

1 hour ago, Até said:

I've noticed on many sailings that Aurea cabins cannot be booked.  Hopefully MSC is listening to our concerns and will revise what they might do to the Classic drink plan.  Still no response from my email or phone call question as to which drinks will be included if they continue with a drink price increase.  I'll take that as a good thing since I figure they are at least re-thinking about what they are doing. 

 

I still don't understand why they are making this so hard.   How many people here would have been mad if they just said Classic becomes Premium and Deluxe becomes Premium Plus?  Sure there would still be some gelato/crepe hold outs, but the Premium Plus no price limit is a big deal - even for those in YC.  I don't even have a problem with them changing Aurea to Easy on future bookings.  Just not retroactive to past bookings, which is basically what MSC was proposing for past Classic purchases.  Those who missed out on upgrading with the old packages, myself included, will just have to pay the new package pricing for upgrading.

 

I can understand their need to increase drink prices, I have always considered MSC one of the best deals at sea.  In my opinion in making this change they did the right thing for Deluxe, essentially moving them to Premuim Plus.  I have one YC Deluxe booking that is affected and I could care less as I will get the same basic value after any changes.  I have three bookings with Classic and feel MSC decided to cheap out on those.  MSC really needs to keep those previously booked under Classic with the same value/choices by either increasing the dollar limits or moving us to Premium.  I do not feel "You will get the package you booked" is a valid answer without a guarantee the drink choices will not be drastically affected by price increases.  Still awaiting a response from MSC....

 

 

Agree with you that all classic bookings shoyld have gone to premium. The reason it showed no price for the UK was that the menus used to have an asterisk on US and European menus so you knew what cocktails /drinks you were allowed. Even witht the US lists nearly all the good cocktails were under the $8 limit along with the beers. With the new menus showing only a couple of the cocktails below the $8 limit its taken virtually all the drinks that were included out of the bracket

[miataman19]

On 11/8/2018 at 11:29 AM, Lagigi56 said:

I would imagine that if cruise and classic drink package are payed in full, they can’t really ask more money can they ? Our cruise is January 10th 2019, very interested to read more on this subject.

We are also on the Jan. 10th sailing. From what I have been seeing and calls made that if you upgraded prior to the price increase date you receive the old pricing and things included in the old package. Glad I upgraded to Deluxe in September. 

[sidari]

Another oddity is that anyone with the Easy drink package cannot use it in Speciality Restaurants!