MSC Drinks package - worth it?

[helendg, leicester]

Hi, I am booked on the Magnifica for October (8 nights from Barc elona)

MSC have asked if I would like to buy any drinks packages, which range from £10.80 (non alcoholic - eals only) to £38 per person per night

This is alot of oney as there are 6 of us, When I was last on royal carribean about 4 /5 years ago I think it was £25 for 10 days unlimited soft drinks for kids, which was great.

Guess times have changed and prices on the ship for drinks will not be cheap....any advice or guidance?

Thanks very much

[Trish, sudbury]

I have booked the Cheers package for adults, wine,beer,water and soft drinks at meal times 115 euros each for hubby and I.

[pennbank, UK]

It all depends on How much you consume. I thought it was worth taking the all in as it included water and coffee from the Bars
you can judge for yourself by taking a look at the bar prices.
Remember that the pay as you go gets the dreaded 15% added on to your on board account. However with the all in it is not
see
http://www.cruises.co.uk/1063-msc_cr...ks_prices.html

[trevor432990, East Sussex]

For info here is an extract from my cruise report covering the subject :-

Drinks package options – The options MSC offer for drinks package seem to change quite frequently and are not well described in their website. I was offered a price for a fully inclusive drinks package twice only for it to be cancelled before I could book one. In retrospect however I’m glad because I eventually decided to go for the ‘Cheers Package’ which offers free wine, water & soft drinks at lunch and dinner times for a daily charge of £14.85 per day so on my 11 day cruise it cost me £163 but from the bills which I collected I would have actually paid £280 so I saved considerably by having it.
Tip:- As well as using your cheers package in the main dining rooms (where incidentally they allow you to take leftover bottles of wine & water out) at lunchtime you can afterwards use it for free drinks on the pool deck up until the Bora Bora self-service restaurant closes which is usually a fair bit later.

If you'd like to read the whole review it is located here http://www.cruises.co.uk/1012-msc_cr...er_2011_a.html

[Bradbury, Coventry]

MSC drinks packages are a minefield. I'm still trying to get to grips with them but the biggest drawback I can see in the all inclusive or mealtime packages is that all of you - each and everyone of you in your group will have to take the same package and the ridiculous thing is they are not cheap for the children.

[Trish, sudbury]

MSC drinks packages are a minefield. I'm still trying to get to grips with them but the biggest drawback I can see in the all inclusive or mealtime packages is that all of you - each and everyone of you in your group will have to take the same package and the ridiculous thing is they are not cheap for the children.

I agree with you Bradbury, but because it is only hubby and I, it works out quite reasonable.

[Bradbury, Coventry]

Helen
This thread may help a bit:

http://www.cruises.co.uk/1012-msc_cr...e_package.html


Posts 77 through to 80 have some good price lists

[helendg, leicester]

Thanks, the lady emailed a list of prices, and even for the cheaperst option



MAIN RESTAURANTS AND SELF SERVICE BUFFET: Mineral water and soft drinks
£10.80 per person / day
MINI BARS and MINERAL WATER IN CABINS: EXCLUDED

This is £65 a day for us - as you all have to take it. Thats ridiculous for soft drinks. Hubby and I will doubtless have a glass of wine or 2 or maybe a beer in the evening, so that could well be £110+ per night. Several of you have mentioned cheers package, or Trish above 115 euro per person for whole cruise, but these are not options available to me

Perhaps this reflects the excellent (cheap) price of the overall cruise - £349 pp, 4 adults and 2 free children (portage tax or something)

oh well - thanks for all the help

[Rustynails, Wimborne]

I had the £38 AI package on Musica back in Dec, You will have to go some to drink that amount of money, on my 8 day cruise I only ran up £220 in drinks, you do not pay the 15% on a package but if I'd had to pay it, it comes out around £250, still some £50 short of the AI cost, £304. I had a bottle of wine each night in the MDR & finishing the evening with Brandies. I do not drink during the day tho just coffees.

[helendg, leicester]

thanks, I dont drink that much, and kids would only be on soft drinks. that package would cost 3 x £38 per night + 3 x £19 per night = TOTAL £171 per day.....x 8 days........£1360 +++

to much

[Rustynails, Wimborne]

thanks, I dont drink that much, and kids would only be on soft drinks. that package would cost 3 x £38 per night + 3 x £19 per night = TOTAL £171 per day.....x 8 days........£1360 +++

to much

Further to my above post, You will never actually get 8 days on board to spend that amount of money, On day 1 you will probably board from midday, so half a days AI lost & on the last day depending on your flight arrangements you could be on your way to the airport at 9am so no AI on last day

[Rustynails, Wimborne]

Its worth pointing out that a Euro today is worth around 82p depending on where you buy it, compared to my last cruise in Dec this makes all drinks cheaper than in Dec by 10p per Euro.

[Trish, sudbury]

thanks, I dont drink that much, and kids would only be on soft drinks. that package would cost 3 x £38 per night + 3 x £19 per night = TOTAL £171 per day.....x 8 days........£1360 +++

to much

These prices for a family are ridiculous. There wouldn't be many families that could afford these type of prices and that is only for drinks on board, you will still need spending money for when you are ashore.

[helendg, leicester]

if I spent £1360 I think we would ruin the holiday....

1 - be to frightened to go ashore and lose out
2 - hubby would have to be drank 24/7 to pay for it
3 - I would keep thinking about the fact the drinks cost as mcuh as another week cruising would, which would wind me up

I think I prepurchase a 2 x 14 soft drinks (£31) and 2 x beer package which is 14 40cl beers and 7 bottles of mineral (£62)....thats about £185, even if have couple of bottles of wine, some milk shakes and coffees will still be £300 ish, which is better than £1360

[Bradbury, Coventry]

if I spent £1360 I think we would ruin the holiday....

1 - be to frightened to go ashore and lose out
2 - hubby would have to be drank 24/7 to pay for it
3 - I would keep thinking about the fact the drinks cost as mcuh as another week cruising would, which would wind me up

I think I prepurchase a 2 x 14 soft drinks (£31) and 2 x beer package which is 14 40cl beers and 7 bottles of mineral (£62)....thats about £185, even if have couple of bottles of wine, some milk shakes and coffees will still be £300 ish, which is better than £1360

I am thinking along the same lines: Almost custom building my own drinks package from the smaller ones offered. They also do 14 cocktails for the price of 12 too. So I am thinking of getting

1 x 14 draft beer package that comes with 7 bottles of water 69 euros
1 x 14 soft drinks for 34 euros
1 x 7 Wine and 7 Water 125 euros
1 x 14 Cocktails (which I seem to have mislaid the pricing for but I think it was around 70 Euros)

So for around 300 Euro I reckon we could make up a pretty good package.