bringing soda onboard MSC ship?

[LinRon3]

We know from 3 MSC cruises before the pandemic (Seaside, Armonia, Mervaglia) that MSC is strict and does not [did not anyway] allow carrying on ANY food or drink of any type on embarkation day.   We watch cruise/travel vlogs however, and noticed that a couple vloggers on recent MSC cruises 'may' have had soda and sparkling wine in their cabin?  It made us wonder if MSC might have relaxed their strict policy on such issue?  So, It's prompted us to query here about any policy changes on bringing aboard SODA [in particular] on embarkation day?  

 

We're sure alcohol is still verboten, but RCI and Carnival has always been lenient on soda; so thought maybe MSC, trying to gain more American market share, might have followed suit now?  

 

We find the MSC general information of recent nature [post pandemic] on any policy changes addressing food and beverage policies hard to find.  SO we assume there's been no change and NOTHING is allowed.  My wife seems to think that packaged snacks, like a can of pringles etc, are allowed since she seems to remember taking these aboard on the earlier MSC cruises?  We found MSC's 'stated written policy' to be emphatic on the subject [before], but the ships themselves sort of relaxed on enforcement? It's a shot in the dark, but thought I'd ask if anyone knows from recent experience on MSC cruises [we sail on the Meraviglia in Feb].   Thanks in advance. 

[ready2cruzagain]

Was on the Seashore in March and no you cannot bring on beverages. If the vloggers did they more than likely had them in their checked bags.  Not supposed to take food on either. Maybe the Pringles she saw were from the YC mini bar? I have seen them there before.  

[styles27]

We usually get on board after being at an Airbnb so we have taken an unopened box of crackers and an unopened bag of chips (on Divina 11/21) in our carry on bags. We were told unopened packaged snacks are okay. Note…last sentence in pic above. This is from MSC US site. 

People can pre order bottles of wine for their rooms but other than that bringing beverages of any kind on board isn’t permitted. 

Edited December 24, 2022 by styles27

[ready2cruzagain]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

We usually get on board after being at an Airbnb so we have taken an unopened box of crackers and an unopened bag of chips (on Divina 11/21) in our carry on bags. We were told unopened packaged snacks are okay. Note…last sentence in pic above. This is from MSC US site. 

People can pre order bottles of wine for their rooms but other than that bringing beverages of any kind on board isn’t permitted. 

You are right, I was thinking unpackaged food (holiday fog) when I commented but I do know you can take commercial packaged food because I always take protein bars with me

[Newleno]

I got on board in Rome and observed that there was no "free" cold drinks except for water, notta, nothing,  so I got off the ship and went to the "carefore? Grocery" and picked up 3 big bottles of Diet Pepsi for about 4 euros, walked right thru security.  Dont know if I got away with something or not.  Then took out contents of mini fridge and kept the Pepsi cold.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Newleno

[LinRon3]

6 hours ago, styles27 said:

We usually get on board after being at an Airbnb so we have taken an unopened box of crackers and an unopened bag of chips (on Divina 11/21) in our carry on bags. We were told unopened packaged snacks are okay. Note…last sentence in pic above. This is from MSC US site. 

People can pre order bottles of wine for their rooms but other than that bringing beverages of any kind on board isn’t permitted. 

Hey, thanks for this post. I really have trouble wading through these websites to find specific information like above [also searches here on CCritic].  Sort of figured nothing had changed but one vlogger on a MSC ship had what looked like an 8 pack of soda and another some champagne which prompted the query here.  The 'Exception of dry commercial packaged foods' does seem to support what my wife said about packaged small snacks.  Ha...I saw where one can of pringles cost $8 in one RCI ship's stores [assume MSC's shops just as pricey].  Plenty of free alternative options though.  I tend to drink too many sodas anyway, ha.     

[styles27]

9 hours ago, LinRon3 said:

Hey, thanks for this post. I really have trouble wading through these websites to find specific information like above [also searches here on CCritic].  Sort of figured nothing had changed but one vlogger on a MSC ship had what looked like an 8 pack of soda and another some champagne which prompted the query here.  The 'Exception of dry commercial packaged foods' does seem to support what my wife said about packaged small snacks.  Ha...I saw where one can of pringles cost $8 in one RCI ship's stores [assume MSC's shops just as pricey].  Plenty of free alternative options though.  I tend to drink too many sodas anyway, ha.     

You’re very welcome! MSC’s website is a little frustrating. I had to really dig to find that in the FAQ section.

I knew I had read it on there at some point, finding it was the difficult part lol 

 

[Greenhopster]

I will only say this. Carryon luggage is checked by U.S. Customs. Not MSC. If items are not a threat to safety it goes thru. I raise my diet coke to you.

[Homosassa]

4 minutes ago, Greenhopster said:

I will only say this. Carryon luggage is checked by U.S. Customs. Not MSC. If items are not a threat to safety it goes thru. I raise my diet coke to you.

US Customs does not check  carry on  luggage for a cruise at embarcation.

 

It is local port security. However, if port security has a problem of any kind, the appropriate law enforcement agency will be called.

 

Debarkation can be a different manner  where US Customs and Immigration can take an interest in passengers and luggage.

[niknot]

At the Miami port in October, there were a number of people carrying on cases and 12 packs of soda. This was for the Seashore. They weren't stopped. I had some canned soda/powerade left over from earlier in the trip packed in my suitcase that also made it on the ship. My thoughts were that if they were confiscated no problem.

 

If you do carry on cases or 12 packs, I would suggest bringing some tape. I saw a poor person on another cruise whose box ripped and the cans rolled down the ramp.

[cruiseguyinorl]

4 hours ago, niknot said:

there were a number of people carrying on cases and 12 packs of soda.

 

Those kinds of things were stopped and confiscated on the Meravigilia early December.

Bret

[LinRon3]

14 hours ago, cruiseguyinorl said:

 

Those kinds of things were stopped and confiscated on the Meravigilia early December.

Bret

Thanks Cruiseguyinorl (Bret).  Wife and I were encouraged by Niknot's post and we were talking about putting a pack of soda in our carryon's.  Like my earlier post, we found some MSC ships to be more strict than others.  I think we've changed our minds about our Meraviglia cruise and will play it on the stricter side of things [no soda].    

[perakcruiser]

12 minutes ago, LinRon3 said:

Like my earlier post, we found some MSC ships to be more strict than others. 

Yes, every answer you got was true (somehow). Because everything is possible 🙂

 

Ships, ports, staff (who is on duty this day is not on duty the other day), sometimes you get away with six bottles of wine, sometimes one bottle of water will set off the alarm. 

[mmbcater]

On 12/25/2022 at 9:42 AM, Greenhopster said:

I will only say this. Carryon luggage is checked by U.S. Customs. Not MSC. If items are not a threat to safety it goes thru. I raise my diet coke to you.

Carry on luggage goes through on a screen X-ray as you board

 

[asalligo]

On 12/24/2022 at 8:50 PM, Newleno said:

I got on board in Rome and observed that there was no "free" cold drinks except for water, notta, nothing, 

No free cold drinks at all, no juice, milk, unsweetened tea? Nothing?  

[Newleno]

7 hours ago, asalligo said:

No free cold drinks at all, no juice, milk, unsweetened tea? Nothing?  

No Juice, No unsweetened tea, no cold milk - for breakfast there was luke warm milk in coffee type containers.  Actually it wasnt until day 4 that there was luke warm milk for afternoon/evening  coffee, before that I was drinking it black except for breakfast. No decaf coffee ever on the 8 day trip.

[BertieRulesOK]

9 hours ago, asalligo said:

No free cold drinks at all, no juice, milk, unsweetened tea? Nothing?  

The buffet had juice in the mornings and water at all times, plus tea and coffee.  It's a bargain cruise, so you pay for your drinks or buy a package.

Edited December 28, 2022 by BertieRulesOK
Typo

[Newleno]

5 hours ago, BertieRulesOK said:

The buffet had juice in the mornings and water at all times, plus tea and coffee.  It's a bargain cruise, so you pay for your drinks or buy a package.

I have been on 9 different cruiselines over 500 days of cruising, all the other cruiselines had cold ice tea 24/7 included in your bargain rate,  MSC is just different. 

[perakcruiser]

5 hours ago, Newleno said:

I have been on 9 different cruiselines over 500 days of cruising, all the other cruiselines had cold ice tea 24/7 included in your bargain rate,  MSC is just different. 

No, all European or Asian cruise lines will not offer cold ice tea. It is something totally US, very strange that you expect it everywhere in the world. 

[Newleno]

On 12/28/2022 at 8:05 AM, perakcruiser said:

No, all European or Asian cruise lines will not offer cold ice tea. It is something totally US, very strange that you expect it everywhere in the world. 

Strange Indeed was your post, I had first hand knowledge from my November cruise about bringing drinks on board and why I left  the ship to buy them,  a concerned traveler asked me if there was unsweetened tea as a cold drink on board,  I answered them,  I did not bring up the subject.  Yes it is very strange that you would say such a thing.  In addition I have cruised or took an expedition ship to every single continent and there was always some type of cold "free" drinks besides water.  MSC, nope not on my Mediterranea/Red Sea cruise, MSC is a little different (not in a good way) from other cruise lines.

[Nikita4]

1 hour ago, Newleno said:

Strange Indeed was your post, I had first hand knowledge from my November cruise about bringing drinks on board and why I left  the ship to buy them,  a concerned traveler asked me if there was unsweetened tea as a cold drink on board,  I answered them,  I did not bring up the subject.  Yes it is very strange that you would say such a thing.  In addition I have cruised or took an expedition ship to every single continent and there was always some type of cold "free" drinks besides water.  MSC, nope not on my Mediterranea/Red Sea cruise, MSC is a little different (not in a good way) from other cruise lines.

Its not only MSC, all european cruise lines dont have cold ice tea for free. The ice tea is an american thing.

[Newleno]

2 hours ago, Nikita4 said:

Its not only MSC, all european cruise lines dont have cold ice tea for free. The ice tea is an american thing.

Critical thinking/reading comprehension is important, what complementary cold drinks besides water did the splendida have for lunch/dinner and during the day/evening to drink from Nov 15 - Nov 23 in the year 2022?  I will give you the answer, NONE.  So I went to the grocery store and walked right through security after putting a grocery bag of 3 big bottles of soda through the "X-Ray" machine.  The key here which I have repeated numerous times is "free cold drinks besides water" please learn it, love it live it.

[Nikita4]

That is that i was writing, no other drinks for free than the water in the buffet!

or you are in YC or with a package, then you can drink what you want.