AUREA Experince Downgraded!

[sidari]

MSC have announced that the Aurea Experience will now only come with the Easy package instead of the equivalent Classic package which is the new Premium package, no doubt that Aurea cabin charges will not be reduced to reflect this downgrade.

For some it may not seem to be a big thing but when you compare the changes and the $/£ increase to Premium plus, it has become ridiculous. Aurea as many will know came with the Classic package which many people upgraded to Deluxe and had the use of the mini bar, for UK customers the increase was around $9 pp pd as package prices are more expensive in the US than in Europe so a small increase on the Classic cost in terms of $.

Now with Aurea having the Easy package, an upgrade to Premium plus and use of the mini bar is around $44 pp pd!

Plot and Lost comes to mind.

[Até]

To make that even more confusing there is still no pricing for those who booked Aurea with the Classic package and want to upgrade.  Aurea's Classic to Deluxe in the US was $8 pppd.  Since Classic (by the old standards) to Premium is basically a no gain, we'll have to see if Classic to Premium Plus will be priced very different. 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Até

[danpell]

I am booked in an Area suite on December 8th on the Seaside. Does anyone know if they will honour the classic drink package still?

[sidari]

danpell ... MSC have said that they will be doing.

 

Ate ... Hard to say which way MSC will go with it, for those already booked they may allow the upgrade to Deluxe for the $8 or they may say its a new booking and its $ more.

[electro]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

MSC have announced that the Aurea Experience will now only come with the Easy package instead of the equivalent Classic package which is the new Premium package, no doubt that Aurea cabin charges will not be reduced to reflect this downgrade.

For some it may not seem to be a big thing but when you compare the changes and the $/£ increase to Premium plus, it has become ridiculous. Aurea as many will know came with the Classic package which many people upgraded to Deluxe and had the use of the mini bar, for UK customers the increase was around $9 pp pd as package prices are more expensive in the US than in Europe so a small increase on the Classic cost in terms of $.

Now with Aurea having the Easy package, an upgrade to Premium plus and use of the mini bar is around $44 pp pd!

Plot and Lost comes to mind.

Having the same issue with the Fantastica experience. When I booked the Billissima for April 2019 with the Fantastica experience, it included 12 drink vouchers per person. Now that will end in March and it has not been replaced with anything for sailings after March. Given that the Aurea is now getting the Easy package I'm not holding out much hope that the Fantastica will get any type of drinks. So it looks like I paid extra for fantastica over Bella for nothing!

[sidari]

electro ... Can only suggest you contact MSC and ask them for an answer.

[sidari]

Seems that MSC have decided that Aurea will get the Premium, just heard from a travel agent friend in the US.

[ChrisB66]

56 minutes ago, sidari said:

Seems that MSC have decided that Aurea will get the Premium, just heard from a travel agent friend in the US.

I hope you're right as i'm booked for december this year and  2019 in Aurea.  On the Msccruises.com website it states the Aurea experience comes with the "Easy drink package" here's hoping that changes.  

Do get 1 complimentary picture now though.  Woohoo 

[abbflex]

12 hours ago, sidari said:

Seems that MSC have decided that Aurea will get the Premium, just heard from a travel agent friend in the US.

Is that for the ones who already have booked an Auera cabin, or did they change their minds and include the Premium instad of the easy packet for New bookings?  Ofcourse I know Your info is from a TA and not from MSC directly, but just wondering what you`ve heard 🙂

[sidari]

ChrisB ... Your drinks are ringfenced for your cruises and will be honoured by MSC.

 

Abbflex ... The info came from my TA friend, her info came from MSC themselves, they have yet to alter the website, having said that the UK site online brochure for 2019/20 for Divina under cabins and Aurea has this! so the website cannot be trusted as being correct.

 

*The drinks package refers to Allegrissimo or More For Less, depending on destination. (*Starting from summer 2017, these package will be renamed All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drink Package and All-Inclusive Classic Drink Package)

[abbflex]

35 minutes ago, sidari said:

ChrisB ... Your drinks are ringfenced for your cruises and will be honoured by MSC.

 

Abbflex ... The info came from my TA friend, her info came from MSC themselves, they have yet to alter the website, having said that the UK site online brochure for 2019/20 for Divina under cabins and Aurea has this! so the website cannot be trusted as being correct.

 

*The drinks package refers to Allegrissimo or More For Less, depending on destination. (*Starting from summer 2017, these package will be renamed All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drink Package and All-Inclusive Classic Drink Package)

Ok, thanks.  They maybe I ll get Premium in my future booking With an aurea cabin.  that would be Nice. 🙂

[sidari]

Abbflex ... You will get what you booked assuming it was before 12th November so Classic or Deluxe, any booking from that date will get what is listed in the new packages.

No decision has yet been made on D.O.U.

[electro]

19 hours ago, sidari said:

electro ... Can only suggest you contact MSC and ask them for an answer.

I asked the question on Facebook. This is the reply, 

 

The drink vouchers are not being replaced. The Fantastica experience includes a better stateroom, prioriy dining times and 24 hour room service. Hope this helps!

 

 

I am not happy!

[cathep]

9 minutes ago, electro said:

I asked the question on Facebook. This is the reply, 

 

The drink vouchers are not being replaced. The Fantastica experience includes a better stateroom, prioriy dining times and 24 hour room service. Hope this helps!

 

 

I am not happy!

 

Where you able to post a question and get an answer from MSC on Facebook?  They don't seem to be responding to individual US customers so I'd love to see responses on Facebook.

[electro]

18 minutes ago, electro said:

I asked the question on Facebook. This is the reply, 

 

The drink vouchers are not being replaced. The Fantastica experience includes a better stateroom, prioriy dining times and 24 hour room service. Hope this helps!

 

 

I am not happy!

 

8 minutes ago, cathep said:

 

Where you able to post a question and get an answer from MSC on Facebook?  They don't seem to be responding to individual US customers so I'd love to see responses on Facebook.

Yes, the post above was the response posted on Facebook in answer to my question asking what they were replacing the drink voucher with for the Fantastica experience.

[stp_mmh5]

Updated info:

A friend just booked Aurea experience on the MSC Meraviglia and his booking states the Easy package is included in his booking.

[camofwilliamsburg]

If you booked with the vouchers then it will come with the vouchers. New booking will show the changes.

[sidari]

Stp. .. A definite downgrade for Aurea, MSC USA are very quiet on the email that was sent to travel agents a few days ago saying that Aurea would get Premium!

[electro]

20 hours ago, camofwilliamsburg said:

If you booked with the vouchers then it will come with the vouchers. New booking will show the changes.

Not according to MSC. They will not be available after Mar 26th no matter when you booked. They were on my reservation when I booked, they are not there now.

[cathep]

1 hour ago, electro said:

Not according to MSC. They will not be available after Mar 26th no matter when you booked. They were on my reservation when I booked, they are not there now.

 

Now that's just wrong. 

 

I used to work in software.  When we found a defect that had been there for years that customers actively liked how it functioned, we kept it because otherwise it would be taking functionality away.  That's what they're doing:  their defect is that they weren't making money on the packages but now they want to take away functionality that was sold to existing customers.  

[camofwilliamsburg]

Then I stand corrected. I have old vouchers unused that I am hoping to use on our Feb cruise in conjunction with the Drinks on Us. The vouchers are a much better deal and we plan on using them.

[Tapi]

Just back from the Meraviglia. We had an Áurea Duplex Suite.There was some confusion about what I was entitled to, but they finally figured it out.

 

I could order:

- Any cocktails priced less than 10 Euros

- Any draft beers

- Wine by the glass from a select list

- Sodas, bottled water, and specialty coffees. 

 

NOT included 

- Any bottled beer.

- anything from the minibar. 

- any drinks ordered through room service. 

 

Since I was only limited to draft beer, If I wanted something besides Heineken, I had to go to the pub on deck 7 which seemed to be the only place on the ship with a decent draft beer selection. Most other bars throughout the ship only served Heineken on draft. 

 

I thought that it was silly that I could get soda and bottled water for free everywhere on the ship, but if I grabbed it from the mini fridge in the room, I’d get charged. But we beat them at their own game. We would drink the water and sodas from the mini fridge,  then go to a bar around the ship at another time, get cans/bottles for free, and replenish the mini fridge before the next inspection. in my opinion, an unnecessary hassle. 

[Até]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

NOT included 

- Any bottled beer.

That sounds like a downgrade to the Classis package and exactly why I upgraded to Deluxe.

[sidari]

TAPI ... As you were in an Aurea cabin booked before November 11th you should have been given the old Deluxe package and not something inferior. Time to complain to who you booked the cruise with.

[deliver42]

I jut got off the Divina in Aurea. I booked directly with MSC about one year ago. We drank whatever we wanted wherever we wanted with no extra charges. Some didn't even take our card.That included gellato and specialty coffees.My usual was JW black, and was always asked single or double. My wife had several cocktails.The only thing we paid for was a specialty drink not included with any package, which we were told up front by the server.