SPECIALITY Restaurants Drink package changes

[sidari]

I was just nosing through our booking and our P.E drink package is included in the speciality restaurants, when you look at the P.E drink info now that the prices have increased the Speciality restaurants are no longer included! 

Anyone else spotted this new unannounced change?

[Beamafar]

The SRs are still covered in next week’s cruise booking, but it clearly states in our October booking that speciality restaurants are not covered:

 

The Package covers all the above served in our bars, buffet and main restaurant. What’s more, it also includes Ocean Cay and other exclusive destinations, but does not cover the specialty restaurants and signature venues (Venchi 1878 establishments or Jean-Philippe Maury venues, MSC Virtuosa Starship Club). 
 

Compare that to the wording for next week’s booking:

The Package covers all the above served at our bars, buffet, main restaurant and specialty restaurants. Whats more, it also includes Ocean Cay and other exclusive destinations, but does not cover the signature venues (Venchi 1878 establishments, Lavazza Coffee Shop, Jean-Philippe Chocolate, Coffee, Crepes & Gelato, Starship Club, Hola! Tacos & Cantina). 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Beamafar

[sidari]

Another sneaky back door change.

[Captain-John]

I have the PE package for a Nov '23 cruise that was booked in Jan '23 and no such exclusion is noted, apart from, oddly, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, same as your confirmation Bea.

 

 

I will be turning up with a glass in each hand already filled to Hola Tacos, and same if it applied to the other specialities. Is Butcher's Cut not a 'signature venue'? So confusing.

 

I don't understand how, being the same 'titled' package, they will be able to differentiate based on when people booked. If the package had a different name, sure, it would be more obvious to the crew but I can't see how this would easily be put into practice short of taking an order, scanning the card and confirming back to the guest if it's chargeable or not.... which I imagine will lead to a bit of upset and/or wasted drinks!

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Captain-John

[Captain-John]

Actually just thinking about it, the new default might be for the speciality restaurant staff to assume drinks are NOT included and it will be up to the guest to prove/fight otherwise. That would be the MSC way!

[sidari]

12 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

I have the PE package for a Nov '23 cruise that was booked in Jan '23 and no such exclusion is noted, apart from, oddly, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, same as your confirmation Bea.

 

 

I will be turning up with a glass in each hand already filled to Hola Tacos, and same if it applied to the other specialities. Is Butcher's Cut not a 'signature venue'? So confusing.

 

I don't understand how, being the same 'titled' package, they will be able to differentiate based on when people booked. If the package had a different name, sure, it would be more obvious to the crew but I can't see how this would easily be put into practice short of taking an order, scanning the card and confirming back to the guest if it's chargeable or not.... which I imagine will lead to a bit of upset and/or wasted drinks!

 

 

It could be that the drinks code for the P.E from 27th February will have a different number to those booked prior to the 27th to show that drinks are not included in the S.R's.

[Beamafar]

12 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

I don't understand how, being the same 'titled' package, they will be able to differentiate based on when people booked. If the package had a different name, sure, it would be more obvious to the crew but I can't see how this would easily be put into practice short of taking an order, scanning the card and confirming back to the guest if it's chargeable or not.... which I imagine will lead to a bit of upset and/or wasted drinks!

 

 

For our upcoming cruise, we have the old Aurea benefits included, so it’s possible that they have the algorithms set to differentiate bookings. 
 

Looks like it depends on when you booked whether the packages will be accepted in the SRs or not (our October booking is a very recent one). 

[Beamafar]

2 minutes ago, sidari said:

It could be that the drinks code for the P.E from 27th February will have a different number to those booked prior to the 27th to show that drinks are not included in the S.R's.

That’s a good point!  

[CruisingFox27]

Each package has its own code, even if the names remain similar, the code alters depending on the date you booked. I recall there being lists of them shared when the last big changes happened - classic and deluxe etc. We'd always had the AIB&R with Aurea, I booked our last pre covid cruise the day before they pulled it for a 2020 cruise, which was 2 years away, at the time. I embarked with print-outs of what we should've had included, just in case, but our card had the correct code, 431 IIRC.

 

The SR restaurant exclusion is going to cause a lot of disgruntled passengers, given the constant push to buy the SR packages. We go for our Diamond one, although with very mixed results, and I'm not particularly fussed by the option, but they do seem popular from posters here and elsewhere. I suspect, this isn't going to go well....

[optimusprime82]

I need to look at our booking on the Meraviglia to see what it says about the drinks package in the specialty restaurants.

 

It definitely seems like a cheap move by MSC. You've already paid for a drinks package, then you're paying extra for specialty dining (possibly a package of dinners), and then they want you to pay even more for your drinks... pass. I'll just visit the bar before heading to dinner/ I'm not paying extra for a glass of white wine in the specialty seafood restaurant that I'm already paying extra for when I have a drink package. You can only pick my pocket so many times lol.

[Beamafar]

It may possibly be an error due to the drinks package pricings being changed and the wording on the website being impacted.  I’ll be keeping an eye on my booking over the coming weeks for changes to the text. 

[diesel1973]

Just a word of warning. Years ago when the Seaside was launched I was excited to go on this new ship so I booked a 7 day out of Fla. Being that I and my wife were status matched to Black, one of the benefits was a specialty dinner for two for each of us.   I booked both reservations on the ship and I was assured that this was the case. Before  the second dinner I was again assured by the waiter and his supervisor that the dinner would also be free. The next day I checked my account and noticed a charge for the second dinner. Went to GS and explained the situation. Their only response was "there must of been  some misunderstating ".  This was not the only incident of them charging me for items which were to be free with the same GS answer as above. This really ruined a vacation which we thought was to be great. I can't believe these pirates still get away with lying to and fleecing people and they keep going back for more.

[RBrowny]

This is on my booking: 

ALL BEVERAGES PRICED UP TO €13! THE PREMIUM CHOICE TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST. OUR PREMIUM EXTRA PACKAGE INCLUDES AN EXTENSIVE VARIETY OF FROZEN AND CLASSIC COCKTAILS, PREMIUM BRAND SPIRITS, LIQUORS AND CORDIALS. THEN THERES A VARIED SELECTION OF WINES AND CHAMPAGNE BY THE GLASS, A 25% DISCOUNT ON BOTTLES OF WINE AND CHAMPAGNE PURCHASED ON BOARD, AND OUR ENTIRE SELECTION OF DRAFT, CRAFT AND BOTTLED BEERS, SODAS, FRUIT JUICES, MINERAL WATER, ENERGY DRINKS, COFFEE (LATTE, ESPRESSO, CAPPUCCINO, ETC.), HOT CHOCOLATE AND TEAS. THE PREMIUM EXTRA PACKAGE CAN BE ENJOYED IN OUR BARS, BUFFET, MAIN RESTAURANT AND SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS OCEAN CAY AND OTHER EXCLUSIVE DESTINATIONS, BUT DOES NOT COVER OUR SIGNATURE VENUES, INCLUDING VENCHI 1878 ESTABLISHMENTS, LAVAZZA COFFEE SHOP, JEAN-PHILIPPE CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, CREPES & GELATO. 

So looks like mine covers speciality, assuming that the Taco place is speciality.

[CruisingFox27]

5 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

This is on my booking: 

ALL BEVERAGES PRICED UP TO €13! THE PREMIUM CHOICE TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST. OUR PREMIUM EXTRA PACKAGE INCLUDES AN EXTENSIVE VARIETY OF FROZEN AND CLASSIC COCKTAILS, PREMIUM BRAND SPIRITS, LIQUORS AND CORDIALS. THEN THERES A VARIED SELECTION OF WINES AND CHAMPAGNE BY THE GLASS, A 25% DISCOUNT ON BOTTLES OF WINE AND CHAMPAGNE PURCHASED ON BOARD, AND OUR ENTIRE SELECTION OF DRAFT, CRAFT AND BOTTLED BEERS, SODAS, FRUIT JUICES, MINERAL WATER, ENERGY DRINKS, COFFEE (LATTE, ESPRESSO, CAPPUCCINO, ETC.), HOT CHOCOLATE AND TEAS. THE PREMIUM EXTRA PACKAGE CAN BE ENJOYED IN OUR BARS, BUFFET, MAIN RESTAURANT AND SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS OCEAN CAY AND OTHER EXCLUSIVE DESTINATIONS, BUT DOES NOT COVER OUR SIGNATURE VENUES, INCLUDING VENCHI 1878 ESTABLISHMENTS, LAVAZZA COFFEE SHOP, JEAN-PHILIPPE CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, CREPES & GELATO. 

So looks like mine covers speciality, assuming that the Taco place is speciality.

Identical to ours, which is the old package with drinks up to 13E. It appears to be the new packages, sold after 27th Feb(?) with drinks to 14E, which now excludes the SR restaurants.

 

@diesel1973 It was once the case that the Black Complimentary dinner was per person, however, it was then amended to one per cabin, circa 2018. The implementation of that was slightly haphazard too...

[RBrowny]

5 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

Identical to ours, which is the old package with drinks up to 13E. It appears to be the new packages, sold after 27th Feb(?) with drinks to 14E, which now excludes the SR restaurants.

 

@diesel1973 It was once the case that the Black Complimentary dinner was per person, however, it was then amended to one per cabin, circa 2018. The implementation of that was slightly haphazard too...

Really strange, I wonder how it updates. We are onboard in about 42 days, so would need to know. Will this be changed to €14? Or not, it seems all a bit strange now.

[CruisingFox27]

4 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

Really strange, I wonder how it updates. We are onboard in about 42 days, so would need to know. Will this be changed to €14? Or not, it seems all a bit strange now.

 

The packages have different codes, when your card is scanned it shows the crew what you are entitles too.
Will it be increased is currently under discussion on other threads. At present, no one knows. Very much in a transition phase at present with old and new menus etc.

 

I'll find out what we can have in 10 days 😀

[RBrowny]

Just now, CruisingFox27 said:

 

The packages have different codes, when your card is scanned it shows the crew what you are entitles too.
Will it be increased is currently under discussion on other threads. At present, no one knows. Very much in a transition phase at present with old and new menus etc.

 

I'll find out what we can have in 10 days 😀

I've contacted our TA, to see what they say. But you will probably know when on board

[Beamafar]

3 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

Really strange, I wonder how it updates. We are onboard in about 42 days, so would need to know. Will this be changed to €14? Or not, it seems all a bit strange now.

 

We’re embarking Europa on Monday next. Someone currently onboard has posted that they could purchase a drink outside of their package and just pay the difference in price between it and the limit.  Someone onboard another ship said they can’t do that, so there’s a lot of confusion with these new package/drinks prices which I’m hoping won’t impact us negatively on our cruise. 
 

Also, a booking we made on 13 February last is indicating that we won’t be able to use the beverage package in the SRs.  The drinks package prices are the new ones with the increased limits. 

[RBrowny]

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

 

We’re embarking Europa on Monday next. Someone currently onboard has posted that they could purchase a drink outside of their package and just pay the difference in price between it and the limit.  Someone onboard another ship said they can’t do that, so there’s a lot of confusion with these new package/drinks prices which I’m hoping won’t impact us negatively on our cruise. 
 

Also, a booking we made on 13 February last is indicating that we won’t be able to use the beverage package in the SRs.  The drinks package prices are the new ones with the increased limits. 

I don't see the point in why I've paid for the Premium Extra, if everything I'm going to get is going to cost me extra 😄

[Beamafar]

12 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

I don't see the point in why I've paid for the Premium Extra, if everything I'm going to get is going to cost me extra 😄

Totally agree!  It appears that, no matter what individuals are experiencing, it’s a case of YMMV. 🙄

[Stu UK]

Interesting we are booked in YC for May 24. On the booking on website we have drinks up to 13?(doesn’t currency)bin all ship areas - no exclusions listed 🤦🏻

[Beamafar]

That also states a welcome package of Prosecco and chocolate which is no longer the case.  You now get to choose a bottle of liquor from a list. 

[oldNurse70]

In addition to those changes, have the Minor drinks packages been discontinued? All we see is the alcohol free Package which is higher than "Minors"!

[Mark_T]

1 hour ago, Stu UK said:

Interesting we are booked in YC for May 24. On the booking on website we have drinks up to 13?(doesn’t currency)in all ship areas - no exclusions listed 🤦🏻

 

We have the same showing for our early June Yacht Club cruise...

[Beamafar]

52 minutes ago, oldNurse70 said:

In addition to those changes, have the Minor drinks packages been discontinued? All we see is the alcohol free Package which is higher than "Minors"!

I don’t see any mention of a Minors package on any of my bookings.