First time on MSC - need veteran answers to 2 questions

[MN_CRUISER]

Hi there, MSC veteran cruisers,

My wife and I have sailed mostly on RCCL and Celebrity, but last fall I found a 17-night trans-Atlantic next April for $400 each and jumped on it. Thanks to C&A Diamond status, we get a few perks on MSC but not many, and that won't include liquor, so I'm debating purchasing a liquor package, which is steep for a 17-night cruise.

 

I don't actually need the pros and cons of buying a liquor package, but what I DO need from you seasoned sailors is this: (1) The liquor packages on the MSC website are supposedly "marked down" 15% from onboard prices (which is a ruse RCCL uses), but RCCL and Celebrity will actually put their liquor packages on sale further every month or so for a short time. Does MSC ever mark down their liquor packages steeper for advance purchases on the website?

 

(2) Once purchased, will MSC allow you to cancel an advance purchase made on the website? (For example, liquor, specialty dining, shore excursion, etc.) Again, RCCL and Celebrity will, up until a few days before sailing.

 

Many thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!

 

Dan

[Tierun]

Basically the 15% is because there’s no added service fee for online purchases whereas on board you pay the price plus 15%. Drinks package prices don’t change. I don’t think MSC allows you to cancel once cruising. The drinks are markedly cheaper than Royal.

[KarenGretz]

No and yes

[MN_CRUISER]

Not asking about canceling after sailing, but before sailing. Also, my last RCCL cruise in Sept 2022, I found a presail liquor package for $50 a day. Now that didn't include tips, but it did include drinks up to $15. I DO know I'll likely never see that again, but drinks are more expensive on Royal because they don't offer the lower 2 lower tier packages that MSC does.

Edited September 6, 2023 by MN_CRUISER

[MN_CRUISER]

6 minutes ago, KarenGretz said:

No and yes

So Karen, yes, I can cancel a purchase and get a refund before sailing? That would give me peace of mind.

[Até]

The 15% discount for booking before the sailing is that you don't pay a 15% gratuity when purchased on the ship. Packages on ship are the same price as pre-cruise plus 15% gratuity.

 

The only real mark down of the drinks package cost is when you book an inclusive rate, where you also get wifi and some OBC.  Remember MSC will make you purchase the drinks package for all cabin occupants regardless of when you purchase.  To help with comparison Wifi is currently costing about $30 per day for the two device plan included with that rate.  

 

So, if these add-ons have any interest you might consider changing your booking rate.  Since it appears you are already booked at the basic "cruise only" fare MSC will now lock this booking to where all other rates are what existed at the time of your booking.   The same goes for moving to another cabin type.  In other words you cannot wait for a lower rate and switch, you will be held to the rates as they were when you booked.   Only cancelling and re-booking is possible to get a lower advertised rate.

 

Items purchased as an add-on to your rate can be canceled, I believe, up to two days before sailing with credit back to original form of payment.  You cannot cancel items included with the inclusive fare.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Até

[KarenGretz]

15 minutes ago, MN_CRUISER said:

So Karen, yes, I can cancel a purchase and get a refund before sailing? That would give me peace of mind.

Yes you can, especially if you book through an agent and they prebook your drink package for you. (Still costs the same.) They can use their agent account on msc book to add or cancel the purchase. However, a phone call to customer service will also do. However their phone customer service isn't the best.....

[MN_CRUISER]

16 minutes ago, KarenGretz said:

Yes you can, especially if you book through an agent and they prebook your drink package for you. (Still costs the same.) They can use their agent account on msc book to add or cancel the purchase. However, a phone call to customer service will also do. However their phone customer service isn't the best.....

Yes, as I've learned. Thanks for your concise and to-the-point answers....my favorite kind on boards like these.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Drink package for two for 17 nights............OUCH!!

[Eglesbrech]

You mention that it is a trans Atlantic. Just another consideration if you happen to be stopping in any Spanish ports at this end which these cruises frequently do. Spain add on a tax to anything purchased on board eg drinks, meals etc while in port and until at sea but it does not apply to for example pre purchased drinks packages.

 

It was 10% the last time we were in a Spanish port and it can add up if you are there until late or over night in port.

 

Just for information.

[JamieLogical]

MSC drink packages do not go on sale. I found the Easy Plus Package to be adequate for all of my drinking needs. While it "only" covers drinks up to $10, MSCs drink prices are much more reasonable than other lines. I actually struggled to find something above $10 to order just to test out the newly implemented (back in April) policy that you only have to pay the difference on drinks above what is covered by your package. Here is the standard drink menu:

 

 

QR_K_BAR-LIST-GENERIC_OTHER_DAYX_EN_1681776111.pdf

[Morgsmom]

1. MSC does not discount the drink packages or have sales like RCCL often does

 

2. Yes, you can cancel pre-purchased packages HOWEVER (and no one has yet noted), it could take two - three billing cycles to get the money refunded (we are on our 3rd month waiting on a $198 refundable deposit to come back)

 

3.  The drinks onboard are very reasonable, however for a transatlantic I know I'd drink enough espresso based drinks a day to easily cover the "Easy" package, let other other libations.  

 

4.  To the person who suggested you look at booking an "all in" package; I have never seen them offered on such repositioning cruises.  The intro rate for the cruise is dirt cheap, but they wifi and drinks are at rack rack.  

 

[brucevr6]

@AtéHi. Good afternoon. Just a question about rates that you referred to. When we booked our ocean view room for our transatlantic cruise in March 2024, the deluxe balcony cabin was , for example, $2806 for the three of us versus what we paid. Now those balcony cabins are much more expensive, and the ocean view rooms show “ sold out “. Are you saying that if we now wanted a balcony , it would be offered for the price it was where we made the original booking ? 

[Até]

54 minutes ago, brucevr6 said:

@AtéHi.  ... Are you saying that if we now wanted a balcony , it would be offered for the price it was where we made the original booking ? 

That has been my experience twice, but in my cases we were trying to move up cabin categories where the cost had dropped since we booked.  It was still going to be additional money we would pay.  MSC insisted we had to pay the difference as it was when we booked,  several hundred more than the current prices.

 

It seems in fairness that policy should be able to work on your favor also, but I've not yet been in your situation.   And with all things MSC you're likely to get multiple answers.   I'd definitely try.  If they refuse then I'd look for a category that has dropped in price (might have to wait until closer to sail date) since you booked and call back to see if they give you the policy they told me.  Then hit them with the lower balcony price when you booked.

[lcpagejr]

23 hours ago, KINGBOBOFTHENORTH said:

Drink package for two for 17 nights............OUCH!!

If there is any consolation...MSC appears to have the cheapest beverage package rates compared to the "big boys" of the industry!

[mmbcater]

11 hours ago, lcpagejr said:

MSC appears to have the cheapest beverage package rates compared to the "big boys" of the industry!

Did you know MSC is the largest privately owned cruise line in the world? They are bigger than the "Big Boys"

 

[lcpagejr]

1 hour ago, mmbcater said:

Did you know MSC is the largest privately owned cruise line in the world? They are bigger than the "Big Boys"

 

Not in N America… i think 95%  understood my statement 

[Brighton Line]

6 hours ago, mmbcater said:

Did you know MSC is the largest privately owned cruise line in the world? They are bigger than the "Big Boys"

How is that measured?

Number of ships? Number of double occupancy berths? Total gross profit? Total tonnage? Total embarkations? Net profit? 

Do you take into account all the lines Carnival PLC owns in any of how you measure? 

[mmbcater]

On 9/7/2023 at 3:19 PM, Brighton Line said:

How is that measured?

Number of ships? Number of double occupancy berths? Total gross profit? Total tonnage? Total embarkations? Net profit? 

Do you take into account all the lines Carnival PLC owns in any of how you measure? 

You missed the key word "privately" owned, it is a family run business-not on the stock market. The Aconite family owns MSC outright...