Is it possible to Upgrade from Drinks on Us to higher package?

and by that I mean at a Discount, vs the FULL price which is what MSC is saying? Does anyone have a secret code? I'm willing to meet them in the middle, but the rep said I'd have to pay the full price to Classic or Deluxe.

I am assuming this is possible and that someone knows the "RIGHT CODE" to tell them to add to the booking. Thanks in advance.

We have the drinks on us package for 5 cruises and all I did was call either my TA or MSC (depends on who I was booked with) and tell them I wanted to upgrade.

To upgrade to the Classic package it cost up $18pp per day. Or to upgrade to the Deluxe pkg it is $26 pp per day. Here is a link go down to page 3 almost to the bottom and it says can i upgrade.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Assets/MSC-18-095%20Drinks%20On%20Us%20flyer_new.pdf

I upgraded to classic I called MSC it was $18

and received an email updated invoice showing the upgrade

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I upgraded to classic I called MSC it was $18

and received an email updated invoice showing the upgrade

 

 

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Same here. Took 5 minutes and it was on my invoice. If they say no, keep trying. $18 for Classic, $26 for deluxe.

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We are sailing in Aurea class which I believe gives the Classic package. Am I correct or is it the Premium package which is included? If it's the Classic would we be able to upgrade to the Premium package for $6 per day or am I reading this wrong?

We are sailing in Aurea class which I believe gives the Classic package. Am I correct or is it the Premium package which is included? If it's the Classic would we be able to upgrade to the Premium package for $6 per day or am I reading this wrong?

You're right - Classic is included. You can upgrade to the Deluxe (premium) package. If you do it before sailing, you can pay the difference in Sterling - £6 pppn - you avoid the 15% service charge, which would be added if you upgrade onboard (plus you'd be charged in US$). This is assuming that your cruise is a US based sailing.

You'll find all the information on page 214 of the 2018/19 brochure:

https://www.msccruises.co.uk/en-gb/Brochures/Our-Brochures.aspx

You're right - Classic is included. You can upgrade to the Deluxe (premium) package. If you do it before sailing, you can pay the difference in Sterling - £6 pppn - you avoid the 15% service charge, which would be added if you upgrade onboard (plus you'd be charged in US$). This is assuming that your cruise is a US based sailing.

 

You'll find all the information on page 214 of the 2018/19 brochure:

 

https://www.msccruises.co.uk/en-gb/Brochures/Our-Brochures.aspx

Thanks for that really useful info, but it's actually a Grand Voyage (Venice to Durban) - will this make any difference?

Thanks for that really useful info, but it's actually a Grand Voyage (Venice to Durban) - will this make any difference?

Yes ... different prices as the currency onboard will be in Euros. This is where it gets a little complicated (and, frankly - extremely annoying!) The basic (Aurea) package is €21 pppd and the premium (Deluxe) is €40 on a cruise of 9+ nights - which yours will be. Here's the annoying bit: while the difference in price is €19, MSC will charge you €24 - the difference between the prices of a >9 night cruise (basic is €26 and Deluxe is €50 pppd!). I'm speaking from experience. This is the case whether you try to upgrade before sailing or while onboard (when you have to add another 15% to the cost!). I'm not sure what it would cost you in Sterling, though I'd imagine it would still be the difference in price between the 2 shown in the brochure, ie £44-£23 = £21; that would only apply if pre-paying ... you'd pay the Euro price difference onboard + 15%.

If you're wondering why it costs so much to upgrade than when on a US based sailing, it's because, on those sailings, the Classic package is more expensive to begin with (£38 as opposed to £23).

Bytheway, we did that itinerary, on the smaller Sinfonia, back in Oct 2016. It was our best-ever cruise!

What fantastic info - as ever - Beamafar. I need to try and find a drinks list to see if its worth it for us. We like a selection of beer and a reasonably nice glass of wine and it seems Classic is limited in both.

Is it possible to upgrade part way through if we find we'd like better choices?

And thanks for the comment about that cruise. We are very excited by such a special itinerary

Certainly there's a better range of bottled beers and better selection of included wines on the deluxe package. Skier Pete has posted a dedicated thread with recent bar menus which would apply on your cruise ... found it, here's a link:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2649741

All items, including those with 1 asterisk, are included in the deluxe package. Everything without asterisks are covered by the basic package and those with 2 asterisks aren't included in any package.

Here's the policy on upgrading packages:

Upgrades can only be purchased for the duration of the cruise and is not available on a per day basis

Hope this helps. :)

Something to bear in mind: The ship won't be stocked up in Venice as they clear inventory on the repo to Durban - it gets stocked with South African products for the season in that region, so there's a real possibility that they may run out of some of your favourite tipples. I had a head waiter in the restaurant who resorted to raiding all the bars for their remaining bottles of Woodbridge chardonnay, as it was the only white I liked on the deluxe package. Eventually, he allowed me to choose from a couple of other wines that weren't included when he finally ran out of sources. Also, a few days before we reached Durban, butter had been rationed to one portion per person at mealtimes. :rolleyes:

I would respectfully suggest that you total up what the upgrade would cost and have a serious look at whether it would be worth it to you. There was a time when I wouldn't have considered not having the premium package but I've been very satisfied with the basic one for 2 cruises last year - on one, I purchased the 7 bottles of wine package but didn't even bother doing that on the other. Having said that, DH only drinks the Heineken draught beer, anyway, so it's really not worth paying an extra €48 pppd for us.

... the difference between the prices of a >9 night cruise (basic is €26 and Deluxe is €50 pppd!).

Wrong symbol - it should read <9 (less than 9 nights) :o

Once again, some fantastic information. I will take a look at the menus and make a decision. However, since we are not bothered about premium brands for mixed drinks/cocktails and since it's not possible to pro-rata the upgrade as it is on RC it may well be more economical for us to buy a wine package, and I believe they do a beer package, for the days when we fancy something off the Classic list.

I'm a bit alarmed about the fact that they run out of stuff on the repositioning cruise :eek:

There was a time when the price of a repo was a fraction of what it is today, and you could allow for low stocks. However, now that the prices are in the same ballpark as regular cruises, it's really not good enough, IMHO.

Hi. Can you tell me about the drinks on us promotion. I am in Australia and haven't seen that advertised here. I am looking at a cruise from Dubai to Tokyo next year and was wondering if this promotion was available on this cruise. Thanks Grant

Hi. Can you tell me about the drinks on us promotion. I am in Australia and haven't seen that advertised here. I am looking at a cruise from Dubai to Tokyo next year and was wondering if this promotion was available on this cruise. Thanks Grant

The promotion is only running in the US. MSC runs different promotions in different countries.

Can OBC we used to upgrade prior to sailing?

Is the drink package promo for everyone in the room or just the 1st two passengers? Also, if you upgrade, does everyone in the room have to upgrade as well... thanks in advance.

I upgraded to classic I called MSC it was $18

and received an email updated invoice showing the upgrade

 

 

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What's the difference between the Drinks on Us and the Classic package?

I was wondering what package is included if you're staying the YC

What's the difference between the Drinks on Us and the Classic package?

The main difference is the classic package includes cocktails, frozen drinks, like Pina Coladas coffees, teas and ice cream.

Also more then one type of liquors in each category. You also do not have to pay the 15% tax on each drink you order so that is a saving. There is a comparison chart on MSC web site

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Can OBC we used to upgrade prior to sailing?

No (unless you're in Ireland, where we can pre-order, but don't pre-pay for things. The charge is added to our onboard account).

I was wondering what package is included if you're staying the YC

You get the Deluxe (premium) package included.

The main difference is the classic package includes cocktails, frozen drinks, like Pina Coladas coffees, teas and ice cream.

Also more then one type of liquors in each category. You also do not have to pay the 15% tax on each drink you order so that is a saving. There is a comparison chart on MSC web site

I (and others) have posted a link to it several times on the forum - all it takes is a search.

So I have the drinks on us package.....what will it cost me if I want a pina colada for example. If I upgrade to the classic package for what I understand is $18 per day, will that include frozen drinks?