The old style drinks packages

[Scotsgirl01]

Hi - anyone able to post what the all inclusive bar and restaurant packages used to include? I’m not sure the new package is as good.  We have the all inclusive bar and restaurant package booked for our MSC Bellisima cruise in May and not sure what the difference really is.

 

Thanks for any help 😃

 

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, Scotsgirl01 said:

Hi - anyone able to post what the all inclusive bar and restaurant packages used to include? I’m not sure the new package is as good.  We have the all inclusive bar and restaurant package booked for our MSC Bellisima cruise in May and not sure what the difference really is.

 

Thanks for any help 😃

 

 

I replied to you in the other thread but the contents of the package are:

 

ALL-INCLUSIVE BAR & RESTAURANT DRINK PACKAGE.

Drink all you want, where you want, in total freedom and with a light heart! Unlimited consumption of spirits, liqueurs, aperitifs and cocktails from the bar list, dedicated selection of wines by the glass, draught beer, sodas, fruit juices, mineral water, espresso, cappuccino and other classic hot drinks, and takeaway ice cream in a cone or cup. The drinks included in package can be consumed in all bars, self-service buffet and restaurants including the specialty restaurants. The following items are not included in this offer: tobacco, champagne, bottles of wine and sparkling wine, premium spirit brands, drinks from the minibar and water provided in your cabin, souvenir glasses and food served in specialty bars and restaurants. Other excluded items are detailed in the onboard Bar List, indicated with an asterisk.

 

The only issue now is there will be no asterisks in the new menu

 

Beamafar kindly posted the menus which you can see here complete with asterisks:

 

[sidari]

Was just checking out the drink packages for our Meraviglia Xmas 2019 cruise from Miami, Easy £27, Premium £48 and P+ £61 ...      Old Classic to Deluxe upgrade in Aurea £6 pppd, Under the new packages Easy to P+ £34 pp pd !

Glad I upgraded to Deluxe from Classic for our Aurea booking.

[Suzieanna]

What is take away ice cream in a cone or cup?   Is that the gelato people keep talking about? 

[sidari]

Think that might be the soft ice cream from a machine.

[Suzieanna]

Cool.  Like a whippy?  

 

[Até]

I'm not totally sure either.  For US bookings I always thought gelato was called "Take-away homemade ice cream".  Was gelato available to the Classic package?  If not then gelato was called "Special ice cream in cups". 

[Beamafar]

Gelato is the one that comes in a range of flavours  and is made onboard - the basic package always included it and it came in either a small tub or piled on a cone.  There are also sundaes on the menu containing gelato which are served at the gelato bar which were included in the Deluxe package.

 

Soft-serve is different and comes from a machine (something I've never spotted on a ship - maybe it's only available on US-based ships?)

Edited December 6, 2018 by Beamafar

[sidari]

Bea ... Thought I recall Divina having one on the main pool deck slightly tucked away at the side of one of the bars.

[citizenfrank]

3 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Gelato is the one that comes in a range of flavours  and is made onboard - the basic package always included it and it came in either a small tub or piled on a cone.  There are also sundaes on the menu containing gelato which are served at the gelato bar which were included in the Deluxe package.

 

Soft-serve is different and comes from a machine (something I've never spotted on a ship - maybe it's only available on US-based ships?)

No comparison between the two.

The soft serve is like on Carnival & such lines.

The new packages quote it & I asked when on the phone "does this mean machines will be introduced" the reply was yes "gelato machines"!

I think this is not the case!

Gelato & the sundae's made with it to be enjoyed 'one last time' in March I fear!

*Without paying I mean

[sidari]

Well this is the Divina Gelato bar, according to the photo from cruise deckplans.com.

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by sidari

[citizenfrank]

Exactly ...A far superior product that is in a class of its own!

[Beamafar]

Dave ... last time I was on Divina was on her repo to the US in 2015.  I didn't see the machine then - that's not to say that it wasn't onboard;  I'd never go looking for any kind of ice-cream, anyway.  I just don't ever remember seeing anybody eating soft-serve.  I must check out Armonia in January to see if they've installed a machine - I know that gelato will be free for everyone on her Miami itinerary:

 

New included delights

MSC Armonia will introduce some complimentary treats with the cruise experience. MSC Cruises is already known for offering some of the best gelato at sea and now, every creamy bite comes included with the cruise, leaving guests plenty of opportunity to try every flavour on board.

 

Frank ... that's if you're into it!    For those who are it certainly is great quality gelato.

[sidari]

The soft serve is on the other side, or it was.

[Beamafar]

So ... am I right in saying that the mealtime package is gone?  I was looking at the world cruise for 2020 and see that it's showing as included in the cruise price. 

[citizenfrank]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

Dave ... last time I was on Divina was on her repo to the US in 2015.  I didn't see the machine then - that's not to say that it wasn't onboard;  I'd never go looking for any kind of ice-cream, anyway.  I just don't ever remember seeing anybody eating soft-serve.  I must check out Armonia in January to see if they've installed a machine - I know that gelato will be free for everyone on her Miami itinerary:

 

New included delights

MSC Armonia will introduce some complimentary treats with the cruise experience. MSC Cruises is already known for offering some of the best gelato at sea and now, every creamy bite comes included with the cruise, leaving guests plenty of opportunity to try every flavour on board.

 

Frank ... that's if you're into it!    For those who are it certainly is great quality gelato.

Yes of course! I should not be, but I am, I soooo am lol

Should be banned from it really, though in moderation it is fine.

But there is moderation & moderation I guess! Oooops

 

[Nunagoras]

On 12/6/2018 at 9:50 AM, Beamafar said:

Gelato is the one that comes in a range of flavours  and is made onboard - the basic package always included it and it came in either a small tub or piled on a cone.  There are also sundaes on the menu containing gelato which are served at the gelato bar which were included in the Deluxe package.

 

Soft-serve is different and comes from a machine (something I've never spotted on a ship - maybe it's only available on US-based ships?)

Ah! Ok! Many thanks Bea for the clarification.

 

Availability of soft serve on cruise ships? Well: RCI has some machines of what they call frozen yogurt that was included on your fare on the Oasis class at least. As for MSC they already had something on the Magnifica last march but that was an entirely different thing. The tiny (indeed very tiny for the ship's size) gelato bar had 2 machines from where the bartenders were able to obtain some somewhat softer and little bit more creamy gelato than the regular variety. They served it in some plastic cones of 3 different sizes and they even had some speciality drinks made of it. It was priced something like $0.50 below the regular variants and they sometimes even better than those, actually! Out of curiosity one of those machines had some 3 flavours of low fat gelato that were the unique low fat gelato available. Quite a secret and out of the menu, but pretty good as well. Flavours were some 6: Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mango and 2 others I can't remember. Low fat ones were strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. Maybe this is what they are calling soft serve and is similar to what they used to have for free on small cups on the MDR. The "milkshakes" from "soft serve" had sort of an "exotic" name I can't remember either, but perhaps adapted to the Brazilian market from where the ship departed.

 

Have a nice day!... 🙂

[Imaldamoo]

Hi Scotsgirl01

interested to know how you got on with the all inclusive drinks package on Bellissima.  We are travelling on Bellissima early November with the old Package and worried about lack of info about what is included and how we will know if what we order is ‘in or outside’ of our package. 

TIA

 

 

[Scotsgirl01]

Hi Imaldamoo - don't worry about having the "old " package.  We travelled as a group of 8 and no one had any problem getting the drinks that were included in the old package.  One of our group did order a top shelf spirit and was told she would have to pay for it - as expected, because we knew only standard drinks were included.

I'm not sure about ice-cream/gelato but certainly wine/beer/spirits/cocktails were all as expected.

Enjoy your cruise.

[nikkiw60]

On 10/23/2019 at 4:50 PM, Imaldamoo said:

Hi Scotsgirl01

interested to know how you got on with the all inclusive drinks package on Bellissima.  We are travelling on Bellissima early November with the old Package and worried about lack of info about what is included and how we will know if what we order is ‘in or outside’ of our package. 

TIA

 

 

Just on the Meraviglia and we have the old deluxe package this is in the bar now.

[Imaldamoo]

Thanks for the update guys. Roll on next Sunday 🚢 

[QueenofEverything]

On 10/23/2019 at 3:50 PM, Imaldamoo said:

Hi Scotsgirl01

interested to know how you got on with the all inclusive drinks package on Bellissima.  We are travelling on Bellissima early November with the old Package and worried about lack of info about what is included and how we will know if what we order is ‘in or outside’ of our package. 

TIA

 

 

Be sure to check your account each day either on the app or on your tv.  Because it has been awhile since they offered bookings with the deluxe package there is some confusion about it onboard.  You may see an extraneous charge on your account which you will have to go to guest services to have removed.  You may also have confusion on your room steward's part about whether the mini bar is included.  Ours even called his supervisor on our phone and the supervisor told us our minibar was not included.  It was.   A call to guest services straitened  it out.  You do have to sign an order form each day for them to be able to refill the minibar.

[travelberlin]

On 10/28/2019 at 2:25 PM, nikkiw60 said:

Just on the Meraviglia and we have the old deluxe package this is in the bar now.

Besides those prepaid packages, is it possible to buy packages which only include bottles of wine and mineral water?