Will my pre booked drinks package be affected?

[MrsDusty]

Hi everyone.  I have booked on the Preziosa next August ex Southampton.

I pre booked the classic drinks package for my family and I.

Now I understand that there are new packages being launched today.

I will be very disappointed if I will get an inferior package or have to pay more .

Does anyone know if one will be affected?

[sidari]

Packages already booked and paid for will be honoured according to MSC UK in their email to me earlier today.

[MrsDusty]

1 minute ago, sidari said:

Packages already booked and paid for will be honoured according to MSC UK in their email to me earlier today.

That is somewhat reassuring. Thank you.

How will it work in theory?

If i have a classic package that was sold to.

Will this change to something else?

It is all very confusing...🤔

[sidari]

I would think that the name may change on your booking but the new packages will have a different code number on the sea pass card compared to what yours will have, but it is just a guess on my part. If you can try and get a hard copy brochure that covers your sailing date which will show the package you booked.

[Epos Man]

In theory they wouldn't even need to change the code number on the card they can just tell the system that anyone with the classic drinks code is now the premium and so on

[sidari]

Far to simple for MSC to understand that, though I have been saying that myself on other threads.

[Epos Man]

Also sidari with the offer we get in the uk of a balcony for the price of an inside even with the rise is still good value

 

[sidari]

The price will be the previous Balcony price not the Inside price that they claim to give you! unless you have the Inside price before they made the offer you have no way of knowing what the prices were. While it may look good at first glance it is not always the case, somewhat like one pays full price the other half price. the total fare will have been broken down from the double full fare so not really a deal.

[nikkiw60]

Just spoken to MSC U.K. who have confirmed to me that the Aurea package we have booked for next October will still include the Classic package. But for any future Aurea bookings it is the Easy drink package included!

[Epos Man]

11 minutes ago, sidari said:

The price will be the previous Balcony price not the Inside price that they claim to give you! unless you have the Inside price before they made the offer you have no way of knowing what the prices were. While it may look good at first glance it is not always the case, somewhat like one pays full price the other half price. the total fare will have been broken down from the double full fare so not really a deal.

 

Don't worry i was checking the price before the offer started and a balcony for the cruise we are going on was 999 each. I have always waited till around september ish time to see what offers they bring forward. Whether they'll keep on doing them is to be seen. People are saying they will go back to NCL etc but with them youare paying considerably more in the base price that I have seen compared to MSC

[Epos Man]

8 minutes ago, nikkiw60 said:

Just spoken to MSC U.K. who have confirmed to me that the Aurea package we have booked for next October will still include the Classic package. But for any future Aurea bookings it is the Easy drink package included!

 

Which is what sidari has been saying which would be the correct thing to do as otherwise people would be cancelling the package and going for a slightly cheaper one or none at all so they then lose even more money

[hamrag]

29 minutes ago, ikea logistics said:

 

Which is what sidari has been saying which would be the correct thing to do as otherwise people would be cancelling the package and going for a slightly cheaper one or none at all so they then lose even more money

Going forward, Aurea pricing will need to reduce otherwise only those for whom flexible dining and thermal spa is precious would book Aurea.

[Epos Man]

now you see flexible dining doesn't bother me and the thermal spa doesn't excite me either so we nearly always go for the bella unless the next one up is on a good deal

[sidari]

Ikea ... Good to hear that the pricing worked for you, with regard to Aurea getting a worse package drinks wise hopefully they might rethink that unless like food manufacturers these days where they reduce the size of the product but charge the same price, MSC will not increase cabin prices ! It does make Aurea less desirable in terms of drink package though.

 

Nikki ... I also have a reply saying that our Deluxe package will not change in December but with the way MSC deal with things I am not convinced, I will be taking the page from the hard copy brochure with details of what we booked just incase there is any issue. As of yet no one knows what package the YC will get.

 

It will be a mess for sure on some cruises because there are likely to be people with Drinks on Us, Mealtime Restaurant Drinks package, Easy, Classic, Premium, Deluxe and Premium plus on the USA sailings and those with Mealtime Restaurant Drinks package, All Inclusive Restaurant and Bar Drinks packages, All Inclusive Drink packages, Easy, premium and Premium plus on other cruises such as UK, Europe, Mediterranean, Cuba, Caribbean Ex Barbados, Abu Dhabi and Oman cruises!

Edited November 13, 2018 by sidari

[Epos Man]

It shouldn't be a mess if they have someone with a bit of knowledge on hospitalty systems and match the 3 digit code number with the relevant package. On the USA one I'm doing in June next year I have the all inclusive classic and expect to get it.

[sidari]

7 minutes ago, ikea logistics said:

It shouldn't be a mess if they have someone with a bit of knowledge on hospitailty systems and match the 3 digit code number with the relevant package. On the USA one I'm doing in June next year I have the all inclusive classic and expect to get it.

And there by hangs the issue " someone with a bit of knowledge" look at the website! ... 

[Epos Man]

I blame the italians

[Até]

3 hours ago, nikkiw60 said:

Just spoken to MSC U.K. who have confirmed to me that the Aurea package we have booked for next October will still include the Classic package. But for any future Aurea bookings it is the Easy drink package included!

What good will that Classic package be when MSC increases the drink prices on your ship so that extremely few are covered by the Classic's per drink limits.  This seems to be what was done on Seaside.  MSC needs to move those people with old Classic to the new Premium plan which is equivalent to the same drinks that Classic once covered.

[sidari]

Ate ... I have an email today saying we will get what is currently in the Deluxe package! not quite sure how if drinks are taken out of it! I will be taking the page from the brochure that says what is included and argue about it from there.

[Bestbubba]

32 minutes ago, sidari said:

Ate ... I have an email today saying we will get what is currently in the Deluxe package! not quite sure how if drinks are taken out of it! I will be taking the page from the brochure that says what is included and argue about it from there.

We're on the Meraviglia TA next September. Last week (phew good timing! Or maybe not!) we upgraded to the classic package from the mealtime one. I've emailed MSC yesterday for clarification and assurance (??) that we'll get what we've paid for, the Classic package as set out online when we upgraded. I really don't want to be fighting for this on board. So far I've not had a response. 

[sidari]

S & S ... Here is a photo from the hard copy of the UK brochure for March 18 to April 2019 of the drink packages and prices.

 

 

This is from the March 2019 to April 2020 copy.

[Bestbubba]

Thank you so much for posting the brochure pages. When we upgraded last week, I printed out the Classic package information that was online. So now I have online and hard copy of what we are expecting, nothing like belt and braces!

Thank you again 

Sue 🙂

[hamrag]

24 minutes ago, sidari said:

S & S ... Here is a photo from the hard copy of the UK brochure for March 18 to April 2019 of the drink packages and prices.

 

 

This is from the March 2019 to April 2020 copy.

 

I am not sure what standing a brochure has, particularly where the wording is ambiguous, however the first photo you show has a statement at the bottom of the page which (I think) says 'The contents of these packages and their prices may vary, and are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.....'

 

For me, that suggests MSC may hold the upper hand if challenged in relation to which drinks (and value per drink) are included on board. Without sifting through all the small print it is impossible to tell, but small print detail is generally there for the benefit of the vendor rather than the consumer!

 

I do hope that those who booked a package with certain drinks and values included get what was included at the time of booking, but this is MSC.....

[sidari]

Hamrag ... Yes it does say that and once confirmed, booked and paid for that is the contract.

[hamrag]

5 minutes ago, sidari said:

Hamrag ... Yes it does say that and once confirmed, booked and paid for that is the contract.

 

I genuinely hope that is the case, for all who are expressing concern in various threads!