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MSC Yacht Club Menu: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Drinks (2024)

• June 21, 2024

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MSC Yacht Club Menu: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Drinks (2024)

Introduction

• Click here to download the MSC Yacht Club Breakfast menu.
• Click here to download MSC Yacht Club Lunch menus.
• Click here to download the MSC Yacht Club Dinner menus.

MSC Yacht Club provides a private paradise at sea. This all-inclusive hideaway, which includes an exclusive Butler service, reflects the elegance of cruising on a private yacht with all the facilities of the largest ships right outside your door.

MSC is well aware that, among other things, the stomach is the gateway to a guest’s heart. Therefore, MSC strive to serve the yacht club menu with exclusivity. There are four components to the MSC Yacht Club menu:

• MSC Yacht Club Breakfast menu
• MSC Yacht Club Lunch menus
• MSC Yacht Club Dinner menus
• MSC Yacht Club Drinks menu

 In this post, I’ll go over each of these individually. So let’s get going.

MSC Yacht Club Breakfast Menu

The breakfast menu at the MSC Yacht Club is the same every morning, so guests may start their days with their go-to favorites. The breakfast menu includes light continental meal along with hot and freshly made dishes.

Enjoy traditional eggs benedict, indulge in a custom omelet, or choose from a range of other breakfast favorites. You can always find a satisfying breakfast to fuel your day’s activities because the MSC Yacht Club menu is consistent.

MSC Yacht Club Lunch Menus

The lunch menu of the MSC Yach Club has a dynamic array of choices in 5 different sections namely,

• Bakery items and
• a section called “Always Available” having Caeser Sald, Pennette Pasta and & Angus Beef Burger

Among these 5 sections, Starters and Entrée sections’ dishes change daily for surprising and delighting your palate. Food items coming under “Always Available”, Desserts and Bakery remain same. 

This allows guests to relish in their favorite dishes.  The daily variations in Starters and Entrée section ensure there’s always something new to try. If you want a light salad or a hearty entrée, the MSC Yatch Club lunch options cater to your tastes and preferences.

MSC Yacht Club Dinner Menus

Yacht Club Dinner Menus served in 7-night of your MSC trip have 3 different types,

• Regular Dinner Menu

Gala Dinner Menu

• Special Themed Night Menu

Regular Dinner Menus in MSC Yacht Club

These dinner options are provided five out of seven evenings during your MSC Yacht Club tour. The MSC Yacht Club’s Dinner menus reflect MSC’s dedication to culinary excellence, with a rotating variety that guarantees a different experience with each meal.

Classic culinary items that have captured the hearts of many people are a standard in these menus, bringing a sense of comfort with new flavors. Each of the 5 regular dinner menus served in MSC Yacht Club has 5 sections,

• a section named as “Delicious Healthy”
• a section called “Always Available” having Grilled Salmon, Broiled Beef Fillet, Chicken Breast & Sauces
• Bakery items

MSC Yacht Club’s Gala Dinner has 5 different sections. Let’s get into them.

Start your meal with our delightful selection of appetizers.

• Burgundy Snails: Tender snails served with garlic herb butter and a crunchy baguette crouton.
• Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Soufflé: Fluffy soufflé with toasted walnuts and sweet fig chutney.
• Williams Salad: Fresh mixed greens with pears, celery, caramelized walnuts, and a tangy carrot orange dressing.
• Shellfish Bisque: Rich and creamy soup topped with brandy foam and chives.

Gala dinner’s main courses offer a variety of delicious and hearty options.

• Fresh Pasta Made on Board: Egg fettuccini in a creamy porcini mushroom sauce, made fresh on the ship.
• Champagne Risotto: Luxurious Carnaroli rice with a creamy Pecorino Romano sabayon.
• Grilled Lobster Tail: Succulent lobster served with steamed asparagus, new potatoes, and aromatic butter.
• Beef Tenderloin Rossini: Tender beef with foie gras, truffle shavings, red wine reduction, new potatoes, and green asparagus.
• Imam Bayildi: Flavorful baked eggplant with onion, tomatoes, and confit bell peppers.

Deliciously Healthy

Every night, the “Deliciously Healthy” section offers a tailored experience that focuses on fish and vegetables. This part is offered in all three types of dinner menus: regular, Gala, and Special Themed Dinner on MSC Yatch Club.

It’s a celebration of flavor and nutrition, designed to satisfy without sacrificing quality. Discover the unique flavors and traditions of the Greek islands in this section of the Gala dinner menu.

• Steamed Octopus Carpaccio: Thinly sliced octopus with potato caper salad and basil oil.
• Monkfish Medallion au Gratin: Monkfish with a bouillabaisse reduction, potatoes, and sautéed mussels.
• Mint-Flavored Pineapple Salad: Refreshing pineapple salad topped with coconut flakes.

Baked Just for You

Enjoy daily selection of freshly made breads.

• Assorted Bread: Spelt rolls with seeds, country white rolls, and black olive focaccia.

Finish your dinner with our delectable sweets.

• International Cheese Selection: A selection of cheeses paired with fruit and vegetable preserves, honey, jellies, fresh and dry fruit.
• Chocolate Royal Cake: Dark chocolate mousse with crunchy praline and vanilla anglaise.
• Crêpe Suzette: Caramelized crêpe with vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds.
• Tiramisù: Mascarpone cream with ladyfinger biscuits dipped in coffee and topped with bitter cocoa powder.
• New York Cheesecake: Classic cheesecake includes chocolate, caramel, peach, strawberry or passion fruit toppings.
• Grandma’s Chocolate Cake: Rich cake with layers of dulce de leche and chocolate fudge.
• Selection of Ice Cream and Fruit Sorbets: Ask your waiter for today’s flavors.
• Petits Fours: Bite-sized sweet treats.
• Fresh Fruit Plate: Several types of fresh fruits.

Special Themed Dinner Night

Keeping ties with its Italian roots, MSC ensures to make your gastronomic trip more magical by the Serata Italiana, which offers a deep dive into Italian-themed foods that raise your dinner experience to a joyful celebration.

Premium Extra Package included

The Yacht Club’s all-inclusive package includes the Premium Extra Package , which offers a variety of beers, cocktails, wines, top shelf spirits, and non alcoholic beverages to complement their meals.

MSC Yacht Club Drink Menu

In MSC Yacht Club, talented mixologists compose the perfect drink for you, anytime of day. Begin your day with a cup of bio-organic Lavazza Tierra coffee, indulge with a crisp craft Gin & Tonic or Elixir Spritz during aperitivo, or sip an old-school martini.

MSC Yacht Club drink menu has something for everyone. So let check out what is available in the MSC Yacht Club drink menu.

Coffee by Lavazza Tierra!

• Caffe latte
• Caramel Macchiato Latte
• Mocca Latte
• Nutella Latte Deluxe
• Vanilla Caramel Latte

Hot Chocolate by Arthemia

• Orange & Cinnamon

Tea from the East India Tea Company

The East India Company’s Tea Master is exceedingly meticulous, going to great lengths to find and purchase the best teas from all around the world. Each tea has a distinct tale to tell, and the blends are carefully chosen to ensure that every cup of tea is excellent.

• Royal Breakfast
• The Staunton Earl Grey
• Lemongrass & Ginger
• Nile Chamomile
• The Campbell Darjeeling Princess
• The Forbidden City Jasmine Blossom
• The Prince Sultan’s Green with Mint
• Tropical Punch

Morning Star

• Bloody Mary by Elixir (Tito’s vodka, Elixir’s Mary mix, tomato juice)
• Mimosa Blossom (Absolut Mango vodka, Galliano, orange juice, simple syrup, prosecco)
• Bloody Mary Zero (Elixir’s Mary mix, tomato juice)
• Mocha Breakfast Shake (400 cal.)(Chocolate whey protein powder, coconut milk, coffee, banana, unsweetened cocoa, walnuts)
• Very Berry Protein Shake (150 cal.) (Strawberry whey protein powder, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, low-fat milk)

Mineral Water

• Premium still water 75 cl
• Premium sparkling water 75 cl

Fruit Juices

• Bottle 20 cl (Peach, apple, mango, tomato)
• By the glass 20 cl (Orange, pineapple, cranberry)

Energy Drinks

• Red Bull 25 cl can
• Red Bull Sugar-free 25 cl can
• Dolce Vita (Baileys Irish Cream, Captain Morgan Spiced rum, banana liqueur, cream, drizzle chocolate)
• Ocean Cay (Malibu voconut rum, blue curaçao, coconut syrup, diced lime, fresh mint leaves, club soda)
• Piña Colada (Myers rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream)
• Strawberry Daiquiri (Bacardi Black rum, strawberry syrup, lime juice, simple syrup)
• Classic Margarita on the rocks or frozen (Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, sweet & sour mix, kosher salt)
• Mangorita (Mezcal, Cointreau, mango purée, lime juice)

Zero Alcohol

• Passion Fruit G&T (BUSS N°509 Passion Fruit 0.0% gin, passion fruit puree, lemon juice, Fever -Tree Refreshingly Light tonic, dehydrated lemon and passion fruit, coriander seeds)
• Vibrante Martini Spritz (Martini Vibrante Zero, deydrated orange wheel, non-alcoholic sparkling wine)
• Mojito Zero (Mojito mix, mint leaves, simple syrup, club soda, mint sprig)
• Piña Colada Zero (Pineapple, coconut cream, pineapple juice, milk)
• Strawberry Daiquiri Zero (Strawberry puree, sweet & sour mix, sugar sysrup,lime juice)

Draught Beer

Lager 20 cl / 40 cl (Heineken, Netherlands; Tegernseer, Germany)

Bottled Beer

• Heineken, Netherlands
• Stella Artois, Belgium
• Budweiser, USA
• San Miguel, Spain
• Dos Equis, México
• Beck’s, Germany
• Nastro Azzurro, Italy
• Newcastle Brown Ale, England
• Guinness, Ireland
• Paulaner, Germany
• Baladin Wayan, Italy
• Strongbow, England
• Heineken 0.0, Netherlands
• Coca-Cola 33 cl can
• Coca-Cola Zero 33 cl can
• Fanta 33 cl can
• Sprite 33 cl can
• Lipton Ice Tea Peach 33 cl can
• Lipton Ice Tea Lemon 33 cl can
• Fever Tree Royal Tonic 33 cl can
• Fever Tree Mediterranean 33 cl can
• Fever Tree Elderflower 33 cl can
• Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit 33 cl can Fever Tree Refreshingly Light 33 cl can
• Red Bull Organic Ginger 20 cl bottle
• Red Bull Organic Cola 20 cl bottle

G&T Club by Gin Project

• Elderflower Floral (BUSS Nº509 Elderflower gin, Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, dehydrated orange peel, cinnamon stick, clove)
• Engine Herbal (Engine gin, Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, sage, dehydrated lemon)
• Mango & Lime Fruity (Whitley Neill Mango & Lime gin, Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic, dehydrated passionfruit slice, rosemary sprig)
• Aloe & Cucumber Herbal (Whitley Neill Aloe & Cucumber gin, Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic, dehydrated cucumber, rosemary sprig)

Spritz & Beyond

• Aperol, The Original (Aperol, prosecco, splash of soda, dehydrated grapefruit)
• Hugo (St-Germain elderflower liqueur, prosecco, soda, mint)
• Tunisian by Elixir (Vermouth Blanc infused with carraway, corriander and cumin, prosecco, dehydrated chili pepper, cinnamon stick)
• The Italian by Elixir (Rouge infused with olives, basil and sundried tomatoes, prosecco, sundried tomatoes, basil)
• Queens Spritz (Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger gin, prosecco, ginger ale, dehydrated lemon, mint)
• Negronic Sbagliato (Campari Bitter, sweet vermouth, procecco)
• Mojito (Bacardi Superior White rum, mint, sugar syrup, lime juice, club soda)

Old School, Throwback

• Classic Old Fashioned (Woodford Reserve, simple syrup, Angostura bitters
• Godfather (Makers Mark bourbon, Disaronno)
• Negroni (Engine gin, Campari Bitter, red vermouth)
• French 75 (Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, Ferrari Brut)
• The Real Long Island (Vodka, tequila, gin, rum, triple sec, simple syrup, lemon juice, cola)
• Cucumber & Basil Martini (BUSS Nº509 Elderflower gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, cucumber, basil, simple)
• Passion fruit Martini (Whitley Neill Mango & Lime gin, passion fruit purée, vanilla syrup, lemon juice)
• The Cosmopolitan (Absolut citron, cranberry juice, Cointreau, sweet & sour mix, strawberry syrup)
• Dirty Martini (Aviation gin, dry vermouth, olive brine, olives)
• Salted Caramel Espresso Martini (Caramel, dark rum, chilled espresso, caramel syrup, Himalayan salt and caramel rim)

Wines & Other Spirit

You may explore selection of wines and spirits by scanning the QR code provided.

In Summary: MSC Yacht Club Menu

Dining at the MSC Yacht Club is more than just the food; it’s about the experience. With no bookings required in your any of the restaurant, you may enjoy these exquisite delights anytime you choose. MSC Cruises offers an unparalleled, all-inclusive dining experience.

As you sail across the oceans, remember that at the MSC Yacht Club, every meal is an occasion, every mouthful is a celebration, and every moment is to be cherished. This is more than simply a voyage; it’s a culinary adventure at sea.

This Cruise Life

Msc yacht club menus (2024) | top sail lounge nights 7, 8, and 9.

Welcome back to our final installment of our experience in the MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge! It’s been fun to look back at the menus and the food over the past couple of weeks and I’m excited to share the final three dinners we enjoyed on board.

Be sure to check out MSC Yacht Club Nights 1, 2, and 3 and MSC Yacht Club Nights 4, 5, and 6 for a complete look at all of the delicious menus and dishes we enjoyed during the course of our 9-night sailing!

MSC Yacht Club – Night Seven Dinner Menu

On a typical 7-night cruise, this would be our final dinner. However, with MSC Meraviglia’s 9-night sailing, it meant we had tonight and two more meals to go. It’s time to go all out and try multiple dishes!

On night seven, I had FOUR appetizers! Everything sounded so delicious. I started with the Winter Salad and Assorted Chinese Dumplings. After those were finished, our server brought out my Seasonal Vegetable Soup. I knew with all of that food, I couldn’t do two entrées, but I didn’t want to miss trying the risotto (for obvious reasons!), so I ordered an appetizer portion of the Shrimp Risotto. Unfortunately, the portion size was just as big as the main entrée portion!

For my actual main dish, I ordered the Indian Butter Chicken – one of my favorite dishes! Check out the “before” and “after” pics in the gallery below to see what I thought of the dish! I ended my absolute delicious meal with Coffee Ice Cream. Yum.

MSC Yacht Club – Night Eight Dinner Menu

Night eight was our second Gala Dinner on board MSC Meriviglia. There were so many good options… but what to choose?

I couldn’t decide on an entre, so I went with two. As a result, I only ordered two Starters: Arugula, Lollo, and Cherry Tomato Salad and an appetizer portion of the Fettucine Alfredo. Clearly, I didn’t learn my lesson from the night prior, as this was anything but an appetizer portion!

For my two main dishes, I ordered the Truffle Filet Mignon and the Chooley Chawal. I’m a sucker for garbanzo beans and roti bread, and this dish did not disappoint. After all this food, I wasn’t all that hungry for dessert, so I asked if they still had any of the Coffee Ice Cream left from the night before. Like magic, it appeared on the table shortly after.

MSC Yacht Club – Night Nine Dinner Menu

Our final dinner in the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge. How is it already the last night? Friends we met on board highly recommend Rocky and I share a slice of the lasagna. We were also informed that we could request the chef to make our favorite dishes… so that’s what I did!

I started light with the Tricolor Salad and Gardener’s Minestrone Soup (in the background). As mentioned, we shared a slice of the Lasagna Bolognese.

On the final night, you know I had to get the Asparagus Risotto. However, I also asked the chef for an appetizer portion of my favorite dish of the week: Champagne Risotto. The champagne-version won hands down over the asparagus!

Finally, I ended my last dinner at the Yacht Club with the Lemon Delight.

Overall Thoughts on the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge

If you didn’t pick up on it through these posts, we loved our experience in the exclusive Yacht Club restaurant Top Sail Lounge. It was some of the best food we’ve tasted across all of our cruises. In fact, MSC confirms that they spend more money per passenger on Yacht Club food than anywhere else on the ship – and it shows. From nightly risottos to Rocky’s multiple lamb dishes an truffled everything… It made for a truly memorable trip.

MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Menus

Thank you for joining us on this culinary journey where we got to explore nine nights of exclusive dining on board MSC Meraviglia in the Yacht Club’s private restaurant Top Sail Lounge. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the menus and food photos below!

• MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) | Top Sail Lounge Nights 1, 2, and 3
• MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) | Top Sail Lounge Nights 4, 5, and 6

Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Full Review

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel for our complete MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge food review!

And for everything MSC Meraviglia and the MSC Yacht Club, check out our MSC Yacht Club YouTube Playlist :

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I tried a ship-within-a-ship cruise experience and it was worth it for the endless perks—here’s why

The MSC Yacht Club affords travelers a totally different cruising experience, but you’ll have to splurge.

I heard tales of luxury from people about the ritzy MSC Yacht Club , the ship-within-a-ship concept where discerning passengers enjoy their own area of the cruise ship that includes a dedicated restaurant, private lounge, separate pool and sundeck as well as private butlers and concierges to take of any whim while cruising. The elevated Yacht Club boasts priority everything while sailing MSC.

I sailed on a four-night cruise on the new MSC Seashore, a glitzy ship with Italian flair intermingled with references to New York City at every turn. Although the ship was well-appointed and had amazing dining, drinking and entertainment venues, and a bountiful Top Sail main buffet, thousands of passengers made the ship feel crowded at times, elevators were slow, and as I strolled through the general pools, they were boisterous and crowded.

RECOMMENDED: 10 things about cruising on an adults-only ship that might surprise you

Switch gears to MSC Seashore’s Yacht Club, passkey-protected for lucky guests, and is a 180 from the ship’s general spaces. Once you scan your handy Yacht Club wrist badge, or your room key, you’re instantly given entrance to a breathtaking retreat of 131 staterooms and suites. All this luxury does come at a price. Cruise fares will vary based on destination, time of year, and cabin category, but generally speaking you can expect to pay double for the Yacht Club. And from my experience, it’s worth it. Read more about why you should splurge.

You’re fast-tracked through everything

The Yacht Club’s exclusivity and impeccable service standard started from the moment I got dropped off at the Port Canaveral cruise terminal. There were hundreds of people waiting to board at 1pm on embarkation day. I saw in the distance a canopy that said MSC Yacht Club. My husband and I wheeled our carry-on luggage to the representative under the canopy. I gave her my name and within two seconds, she gave me a sticker to wear and up we ascended on the escalator to check in. Just five minutes later, I was directed to the dedicated check-in area for Yacht Club guests. To my right, I saw about 1,000 people serpentine through ropes to do general check-in. I felt a sense of relief; who wants to wait in that line? Five minutes later, a butler from the Yacht Club insisted on wheeling my luggage to board the ship and I was in my room in a total on 12 minutes from the time I stepped foot out of the car to my stateroom in the Yacht Club.

Relaxing and streamlined

In addition, Yacht Club guests have the freedom to get off the ship first for excursions. Your butler will happily escort you off the ship with a smile. Guests also can disembark on the last morning first, which is a big convenience. Your butler walks you right to the place you disembark, bypassing crowds and hassles. Port Canaveral is about an hour away from Orlando International Airport, and we took a 10 am flight home. We didn’t have to linger around until the afternoon for our flight home.

Another perk is that there’s a special seating area in the theater for shows. All the shows were excellent during my voyage. All other ship passengers have to make reservations in advance for shows but that’s not the case for the privileged Yacht Club passengers. As long as you arrive about 10 minutes before any show you choose, a crew member from the Club will allow you entry into a special roped-off section. Again, no rushing through dinner—you have the flexibility to plan your evenings your way.

Your Yacht Club package is packed with remarkable value

The price tag may sound daunting, but there’s lots of value there. All Yacht Club cabins and suites include a premium drink package that covers beverages up to $15. You can use this perk both in the Yacht Club and throughout the ship. In addition, your package includes a two-device Wi-Fi package, which worked well during my sailing. Finally, you get access to the thermal spa suite, which is a place to indulge after a day in port or a sea day. Commonly, there’s a taboo regarding mini-bars, but not in the Yacht Club. It’s stocked each day with the beverages you want; just tell your butler and consider it done.

You get perks ashore too

If your sailing includes a call to Ocean Cay, MSC’s private island, Yacht Club guests get an elevated experience there too. Yacht Club guests enjoy a private area, and a dedicated restaurant called the Ocean House. While other ship guests were hosted to a buffet of predictable fare, I enjoyed a lobster roll, and my husband chose carne asada. In my opinion, one thing that could be improved was the tram service to the Yacht Club’s private area. We were told the last tram back was 3:30pm if we didn’t want to trek a 15-minute walk in the heat. Since we were docked in Ocean Cay for the evening and weren’t sailing, I was a bit dismayed by this logistical quirk. I felt like I was keeping an eye on my phone to make sure I didn’t miss the last tram.

You have private areas with curated food and drink and outdoor spaces

Within the Yacht Club complex, there’s the Yacht Club Restaurant, Top Sail Lounge and the One Pool Buffet, which are all exclusive to Yacht Club guests. Obviously, the food and service are steps above other dining venues of the ship, I can vouch for that. Although the food is delicious, if you don’t want to pay extra to dine at the specialty restaurants or fuss in the main buffet, eating three meals a day in the Yacht Club restaurant can get a bit monotonous. The breakfast is the same daily, and lunch and dinner offer a menu with daily specials plus a few standby selections like a hamburger or pasta each day. Although the Yacht Club Restaurant concept is desirable, I would strongly suggest dining in other venues on board, especially for dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed specialty dining in Ocean Cay Restaurant, Butcher’s Cut, and Kaito Teppanyaki. I also want to mention that late afternoon high tea is offered daily at the Yacht Club Restaurant. It was one of the nicest I have experienced at sea.

Also available exclusively to Yacht Club passengers is the Top Sail Lounge, which offers panoramic water views and has chef-curated selections from morning through late night. We enjoyed popping into the lounge at all hours to try finger foods and sweets. The One Pool Buffet offers a more casual option for breakfast and lunch by the pool. The buffet has grilled fish, sandwiches and lots of delicious options if you want to dine outside.

There’s also an exclusive area with a private pool and two whirlpools for Yacht Club guests only. The sun deck loungers are very comfortable and I never had to worry about finding a lounger, there are ample. One issue I had was that there was almost no shade on the sun deck; there were shaded day beds for Royal Suite and Owners Suite guests, but beyond those, I couldn’t find any shade, which was disappointing.

You can justify the price at the end of your cruise

Overall, the best way to explain my enthusiasm for my MSC Yacht Club experience is this: it’s better to book an interior stateroom in the Yacht Club than a luxe cabin outside the Yacht Club. It’s worth the splurge and you return home feeling truly pampered and it’s money well-spent. And I make this prediction: Once you try a ship-within-a-ship concept like the MSC Yacht Club, you won’t want cruise any other way. Bon Voyage!

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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MSC Cruises Drink Packages & Prices (UPDATED)

 On a recent MSC Cruise, I booked an aft balcony with a special rate that included the “Easy Package”. I really had no idea what to expect since I never booked an MSC Cruise with a beverage package in the past.

Upon embarking, I was told by staff how the Easy Package didn’t include much and couldn’t be used at a specialty dining restaurant. With that information, I paid a nominal upgrade on the spot to the “Easy Plus” package to make sure I had more choices and that I could use the package while dining in every restaurant.

So is a drink package on MSC worth it? Let’s find out!

About the drink packages:

MSC Cruises offers a variety of drink packages for their cruises, including the “Easy” package, “Easy Plus” package, “Premium Extra” package, an Alcohol-Free package for minors, and a Minors package. The packages range in price and offerings, with the Easy Plus package allowing for more choices and access to specialty dining restaurants. Recent changes include gratuity now being included in the pricing. It’s important to understand what each package includes and excludes before making a decision.

Quick things to know:

• MSC Cruises offers various drink packages like the “Easy,” “Easy Plus,” “Premium Extra,” Alcohol-Free, and Minors package.
• Prices range from $19/day for the Minors package to $85/day for the Premium Extra package.
• The Easy Plus package offers more options and includes access to specialty dining restaurants for an additional cost (best value)
• Drink package prices include gratuity
• Drink packages CAN BE USED on Ocean Cay
• If your package doesn’t cover the drink cost, just pay the difference!
• The Mini bar in the cabin is not included in any package
• Everyone in the cabin needs to purchase the same drink package (excluding minors)

MSC Drink Package Prices

Depending on which you choose, you can get a package for as little as $19/day (Minors) – but the most popular package is the Easy Plus Package which starts at $61/day. The good news is that MSC Is running quite a few promotions that INCLUDE the Easy Plus Package ! Take a look at their promotions here.

What do the drink packages on MSC cruises cost?

We’ll be posting accurate European prices shortly, as they have also changed recently.

MSC Cruises Drink Packages Compared (NEW 2024 prices)

There are 5 drink package options that MSC Cruises offers on its ships including the “Easy” package, “Easy Plus” package, “Premium Extra” Package, and the Alcohol-Free Package (with a different price for minors and adults)

• See : MSC Cruises Bar & Drink Menus with Prices

Easy Drink Package

The “ Easy Package ” is the most basic alcoholic beverage package on MSC Cruises with a cost of $46 per day per adult and is sometimes offered at no charge as a promotion. (This package is $49 per day on short cruises of less than 6 nights and is even more expensive if purchased onboard)

Liquor choices that go into mixed drinks are generic and sometimes off-brand.

The upside to this beverage package is that it also includes bottled water, soft drinks & juices as well as espresso, coffee cappuccino, and other hot drinks (tea, hot chocolate, etc.) With many cruise lines when purchasing a drink package, they often exclude bottled water and coffee drinks. 

So if you are a heavy coffee drinker and enjoy bottled water with a few beers throughout the day, this is likely your good choice. 

This is the package that was included on my Meraviglia cruise with the base cruise fare. Initially, this seemed like a good option as it covers the basics, but some restrictions were inconvenient enough to make me upgrade to the Premium Plus.

An important exception to the Easy Package!

  You CANNOT use the Easy beverage package in any of the specialty restaurants . So if you want a gin & tonic at dinner, you’re out of luck. Even more bizarre, bringing a beverage to dinner is specifically prohibited forcing you to purchase any drinks regardless of price for the time you are in a specialty restaurant. 

MSC Easy Drink Package Menu & What’s Included

The Easy drink package entitles you to any beverage up to $7.50 ( sort of ). For your convenience, menus throughout the ships have a section specifying what’s included in the easy beverage package. However even though some beer prices by the bottle are $7.50 or less, those are EXCLUDED from this package. Strange, right?

For beer, with the Easy Drink Package, the only option is Heineken Draft or sometimes Miller Light, and the wines are off-label or inexpensive brands only marked as “chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel Rose, Cabernet, or Merlot (Plus a random label of sparkling wine or Prosecco). So if you’re not picky, this package may be sufficient. 

Martini | Gin or vodka, dry vermouth, olive or lemon peel Manhattan | Whisky, red vermouth, Angostura bitters Daiquiri | Rum, lime juice, sugar syrup Cosmopolitan | Vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime Sidecar | Brandy, triple sec, lemon juice Screwdriver | Vodka, orange juice Margarita | Tequila, triple sec, sweet & sour mix, lime juice Moscow Mule | Vodka, lime, ginger beer Cape Cod | Vodka, cranberry juice Mimosa | Sparkling wine, orange juice Gin Fizz | Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda Pink Lady | Gin, lemon juice, grenadine Sea Breeze | Vodka, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice Caipiroska | Vodka, diced lime, sugar Blue Hawaiian | Rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, coconut cream Tequila Sunrise | Tequila, orange juice, grenadine Bloody Mary | Vodka, tomato juice, salt, pepper, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce Long Island Iced Tea | Vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, sweet & sour mix, cola Mojito | Rum, fresh mint, lime, sugar, soda Piña Colada | Rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice Strawberry Daiquiri | Rum, strawberry purée, sweet & sour mix

Alcohol-free cocktails included

Nojito | Lime, fresh mint leaves, sugar, Mojito mix, club soda Magic Island | Pineapple, orange and lemon juice, grenadine, Sprite Cuddle on the Beach | Peach purée, orange juice, cranberry juice Royal Punch | Passion fruit purée, pineapple juice, cranberry juice Fruit Smoothie | Orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, fresh banana, guava juice, mango purée Coco Colada | Fresh pineapple, coconut cream, pineapple juice, milk Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri | Strawberry purée, sweet & sour mix, sugar syrup

Beer Included in the MSC Easy Drinks Package

Heineken draft beer (ONLY)

For this package, even though bottled beers are less than the price cap of $7.50, they’re specifically excluded. Mindblowing, right? It just adds to the confusion about the MSC Drinks packages.

Sodas Included in the Easy Package

Sodas by the glass, Fruit juices by the glass, Still or sparkling mineral water

Other beverages included

Espresso, Decaf espresso, Cappuccino, Decaf cappuccino, Caffè latte, Glass of milk, Hot chocolate, Hot tea

Is the Easy package worth it?

That really depends. If you drink basic cocktails such as Gin & Tonic, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver , etc, and aren’t picky about the liquor used, the Easy Package may work for you. 

Easy Plus Drink Package

The Easy Plus Package cost is $61 per day , ($64 for shorter cruises of 6 days or less) but you can upgrade from the Easy package for about $23/per day per person

With this beverage package, you can order drinks in specialty dining restaurants as well as anything included in the above Easy package. There are caveats, more on that later.

Any beverages up to $10 are included in this package which gets you all of the beer options, more wine options, and some frozen drink options that aren’t available in the most basic drink package.  There is also a larger range of liquor brands, cordials, and martinis available at this price point.

The Easy Plus Package is the most common drinks package because it includes just about everything that a typical drinker would order. Even better, this package can be used in specialty dining restaurants as well. With recent changes to the beverage packages, the cruise line now allows you to order a drink that is not included in the package and only pay the difference (plus gratuity)

This is what we ultimately upgraded to from our included Easy Package. It was well worth the upgrade not only for the more inclusive offering, but for the simplicity of not having to think about what we were ordering and if it was included.

In addition to the Easy Package, you can also order the following:

Cocktails included:.

Sapphire Martini Bombay Sapphire gin, Martini dry, olive or lemon peel Appletini Absolut Classic and Absolut Vanilia vodka, apple sour liqueur, sweet & sour mix Royal Manhattan Crown Royal, Martini Rosso, Angostura bitters Cuban Daiquiri Bacardi Superior white rum, lime juice, sugar syrup Absolut Cosmo Absolut Citron vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, Rose’s lime Spanish Sidecar Cardinal Mendoza brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice, sugar syrup Screwdriver Made in USA T ito’s vodka, orange juice Classic Margarita Jose Cuervo silver tequila, triple sec, sweet & sour mix, lime juice Dutch Mule K etel One vodka, lime, ginger beer Absolut Cape Cod Absolut Classic vodka, cranberry juice Mimosa Blossom Absolut Mango vodka, Galliano, orange juice, prosecco Bombay Fizz Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda Ultimate Pink Lady Beefeater London Dry gin, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup Caribbean Breeze Ketel One vodka, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, lime Masters of the Sea Caipirinha Premium cachaça, diced lime, sugar Blue Hawaiian Punch Bacardi Superior white rum, Malibu coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, coconut cream Aperol Spritz Aperol, prosecco, club soda, orange slice Jalisco Sunrise Jose Cuervo silver tequila, orange juice, grenadine Absolut Bloody Mary Absolut Classic vodka, tomato juice, salt, pepper, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce Ultimate Iced Tea Smirnoff vodka, Bacardi Superior White rum, Beefeater gin, Jose Cuervo silver tequila, triple sec, sweet & sour mix, cola Bacardi Mojito Bacardi Superior white rum, fresh mint leaves, lime, sugar, club soda Mudslide Absolut vodka, Kahlúa coffee liqueur, Baileys Irish Cream, heavy cream Baileys Alexander Baileys Irish Cream, dark crème de cacao, cream

Frozen Drinks:

Mango Tropical Trooper Cruzan mango rum, peach schnapps, triple sec, mango juice, fresh mint Rock Lobster Malibu coconut rum, banana liqueur, grenadine, fresh banana, pineapple and orange juice, Gosling’s Black Seal rum Ultimate Piña Colada Bacardi Superior white rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, fresh pineapple B.B.C Bailey’s Irish Cream, Bacardi Superior white rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice, fresh banana Original Strawberry Daiquiri Bacardi Superior white rum, strawberry purée, sweet & sour mix Miami Vice Miami’s hottest drink: half Strawberry Daiquiri and half Piña Colada Frozen Toblerone Bailey’s Irish Cream, macadamia nut syrup, Swiss white chocolate syrup, cream

Beer Included in the Easy Plus package:

Miller Lite USA Budweiser USA Bud Light USA Coors Light USA Michelob Ultra USA Heineken Netherlands Corona Extra Mexico Dos Equis Mexico Red Stripe Jamaica Stella Artois Belgium

Samuel Adams USA Yuengling Lager USA Newcastle Brown Ale England Blue Moon USA Beck’s Germany Peroni Nastro Azzurro Italy Pilsner Urquell Czech Republic Guinness Pub Draft Ireland Angry Orchard Apple Cider USA Heineken 0.0 Netherlands

MSC Easy Plus Package Menu

This is an example of the Easy Plus menu from within the MSC mobile app. Just know that you are entitled to anything up to $10. See the complete list below.

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Premium Extra Package

This drinks package allows you to purchase any beverage up to $16 , however, it comes at a high cost of $85.00 / day per person (this can be as much as $104/day if you are on a short cruise and purchase onboard). You can upgrade from a lower-cost beverage package for the difference in price, i.e. if you have the easy package, for approximately $43/day you can upgrade to this Premium package.  (Note: Prices have changed as of March 1, 2023, and this information reflects the newest pricing)

While this package covers most top-shelf liquor, there are still quite a few wines and drinks that are more than $16, so it’s not as inclusive as other cruise lines’ most premium drink packages.

MSC Premium Extra Drink Menu

Most premium liquors can be purchased with this package including Grey Goose, Aviation Gin, Belvedere, etc. (see the menu below). However, there are still plenty of drinks that are strategically priced above $16, making this package far from all-inclusive. Additionally, most of the champagne and decent wine on board is significantly more than the limit allowed by this package. It’s hard to make sense of this package unless your tastes are squarely within the more premium liquor brands included.

A bonus of these drinks packages is the discounting on bottles of wine (25%), but the reality is good bottles of wine are generally only available at The Butchers Cut Steakhouse, so unless you are dining there regularly, that benefit is minimal. 

In addition to the Easy Package & Easy Plus Package, you can also order the following beverages:

Drinks included in the premium extra package:.

Aviation Martini Aviation gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, fresh lemon juice Hemingway Daiquiri Zacapa 23Y rum, fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur Santa Teresa Manhattan Santa Teresa 1796 rum, orange bitters, red vermouth Gold Rush Woodford Reserve bourbon, fresh lemon juice, honey syrup MSC Signature Martini Disaronno liqueur, Grey Goose vodka, Licor 43, lemon peel Mule Le Poire Grey Goose Le Poire vodka, fresh lime juice, ginger beer Shanghai Margarita Patrón Silver tequila, agave nectar, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger zest Chili Passion Caipirinha Premium caçhaca, lime, raw sugar, hot chili sauce, passion fruit, jalapeño

Ultimate Mai Tai Appleton Estate rum, Bacardi Superior white rum, Disaronno liqueur, pineapple and orange juice, sweet & sour mix, grenadine Purple Rain Bacardi Superior white rum, Finlandia vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, peach schnapps, blue curaçao, sweet & sour mix, grenadine Coco Loco Bacardi Oakheart spiced rum, Malibu coconut rum, Piña Colada mix, mango purée, fruit punch Jamaican Paradise Appleton Estate rum, Malibu coconut rum, Jose Cuervo silver tequila, Midori melon liqueur, blue curaçao, sweet & sour mix Miami Beach Iced Tea Bacardi Superior white rum, Beefeater gin, Smirnoff vodka, Cuervo silver tequila, blue curaçao, sugar syrup, Sprite Sunset Beach Malibu coconut rum, raspberry liqueur, orange and pineapple juice, grenadine Tropical Tease Midori melon liqueur, Malibu coconut rum, banana liqueur, pineapple juice Emerald Mariachi 1800 Reposado tequila, blue curaçao, lime juice, passion fruit syrup, pineapple juice Mango Mojito Bacardi mango rum, mango purée, fresh mint leaves, lime, club sod a

You ONLY pay the difference in price for a beverage not included in your MSC DRINK package

You can now get a credit towards any drinks not included in your MSC Drink package!. The credit towards a drink is $8 per drink for the Easy Package, $10 per drink for the Easy Plus Package, and $16 per drink for the Premium Extra Package.

For European cruises the credit you get is 7 Euro for the Easy Package, 9 Euro for the Easy Plus and 14 Euro for the Premium Extra package on MSC.

Alcoholic-Free and Minors Package on MSC Cruises

You might be interested in the non-alcoholic package if you’re not a drinker or when traveling with children. This package offers non-alcoholic cocktails, sodas, energy drinks, juices, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. This package doesn’t apply to specialty restaurants unless it’s for a minor whose group purchased the Easy Plus or Premium Extra alcoholic package. So be prepared to pay for your soda when dining at the Butcher’s Cut, even if you have this package.

These prices will vary if booked on the ship on the day of sailing. Usually by an additional 10% or more. Short sailings are considered anything less than 7 days.

This table of prices is pretty mind-numbing and takes the fun out of figuring out what package is right. Why there are different prices for different lengths of cruise is bizarre and just another way that MSC tends to overcomplicate everything.

• Read : More about MSC Cruises
• See : MSC Bar Menus

In Summary, My experience with the MSC Drink Packages

Originally, I thought the Easy package would be sufficient for our cruise, but discovering the limited beverage options and the fact that you cannot use the package in specialty dining restaurants, we chose to upgrade to the Easy Plus.

Overall this was a good choice, because of the wider variety of options and the ability to use in a specialty restaurant. However, it’s important to know – that when using the Easy Plus in a specialty restaurant like Butcher’s Cut, you must order off of the wine/drink menus in that restaurant!

If your favorite glass of wine isn’t available in the restaurant, you are forbidden to bring anything from an outside bar, which really makes no sense. This is something that they do NOT TELL YOU when upgrading from Easy to Easy Plus on the ship.

Normally this wouldn’t be a big issue except there were very few options on beverage menus that were covered by the Easy Plus package.

Drink Calculator – Are drink packages worth it on MSC?

Let’s find out if getting a drink package is worth it or not by using our handy drink calculator! Simply choose the package you plan on purchasing and estimate how many drinks per day you might consume and see if you “break even”

• Choose the package type you are considering. We’ve entered the package price per MSC Cruises but you can adjust the daily charge if you are getting a promo on the package price.
• Enter the number of cruise days
• Estimate your consumption of each type of beverage. We’ve put the average beverage prices based on the Drink Menus, but you can adjust this if you know you like more expensive drink options.

Easy Package includes:

Specific drinks listed on the easy drink menu (found here).

These drinks are sort of “vague” in some respect, so definitely look at the MSC Drink Menus article , where there is a unique menu for the Easy Package.

The Easy Package covers all of the above served in the bars, buffet and main restaurant as well as Ocean Cay and other exclusive destinations. This package CANNOT be used in specialty restaurants.

Easy Plus Package includes:

Bottomless beverages priced up to $10 all day long.

The Easy Plus Package can be enjoyed in the bars, buffet, main restaurant and specialty restaurants , Ocean Cay, and other exclusive destinations.

Premium Extra Package includes:

Premium beverages priced up to $16.

The Premium Extra Package can be enjoyed in the bars, buffet, main restaurant, and specialty restaurants as well as Ocean Cay and other exclusive destinations.

Estimate Your Daily Consumption:

Each field contains the average price found on most MSC ships in US Dollars.

Remember! Any drink not within your package limit, you pay the overage cost plus the service charge! If you tend to drink nicer wines or cocktails, you can adjust the average price of each beverage in the corresponding boxes! This helps give you a more accurate idea of your possible spending. (15% gratuities on European, Emirates, South Caribbean, Red Sea, South America (Brazil and Argentine) and Far East itineraries, and 18% gratuity on North America itineraries.)

Each field contains the average price found on most MSC ships. For the Premium Extra package, all drinks up to $15 are included. If you tend to drink nicer wines or cocktails, you can adjust the average price of each beverage in the corresponding boxes – Remember, for anything over the included price, you pay the difference plus a service charge or gratuity (15% gratuities on European, Emirates, South Caribbean, Red Sea, South America (Brazil and Argentine) and Far East itineraries, and 18% gratuity on North America itineraries.)!

You haven’t broken even on the Easy Package yet!

You BROKE EVEN on the Easy Package!

You haven’t broken even on the Easy PLUS Package yet!

You BROKE EVEN on the Easy PLUS Package!

You haven’t broken even on the Premium Extra Package yet!

Other MSC Drink Package Helpful Information

MSC Cruises Drink & Bar Menus With Prices (2024)

MSC Cruises Drink & Bar Menus With PriceS – UPDATED We spent a lot of time on a recent voyage with MSC Cruises trying... Read This

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35 Comments

On MSc how much doe sit cost if you buy a beer or a soda pop per purchase since i do not drink much alcohol at all and maybe two sodas a day

Wayne – You can get a beer for about $7.50 and a soda for $3.00-$3.50 + gratuity. You can see the MSC drink menus here

How do you know if the drink you order is within the 10$ limit on the easy plus package? Do the bartenders tell you? I would hate to get a bill for the extra few dollars if not covered. Thanks!

Hi Robin, They are very good about telling you right away if anything you order isn’t in the package, but the menus are also scattered around everywhere, and you’ll quickly learn what types of drinks are extra. I found that the selection of drinks wasn’t incredibly huge, so I knew fast what they had that I liked, and which were going to cost a little more.

I don’t drink alcohol but would like the occasional soda. Is it possible to purchase just individual drinks without the packages?

Hi Peter, Absolutely! If you take a look at the MSC Drink Menus (here) – on the first menu, flip to the last page. You’ll see the list of sodas and other beverages. It’s definitely not worth a package with the occasional soda.

Hi! Sailing in a couple days. Just want water and maybe a MOCKtail or 2 for a day. I wasn’t clear on how much mineral water is included per day or how to access. No soda, tea or coffee for me. The calculator did not offer the nonalcoholic package so wanted your recommendations- I do need to drink alot of water. Can I bring any sealed bottled water aboard? Is there gratuities on bottled water as well and how big are the bottles? Thanks in advance!

Hi Amy – Good point on the calculator – we’ll fix that and add the non-alcoholic package! At about $28 per day for the non-alcoholic package and a water being about $3.25 + gratuities, You’d end up needing to buy about 7 bottled waters per day to “break even”. (They are the large 17 oz sizes you’d get in a restaurant, so it’s a pretty good value) The non alcoholic cocktails are included as well and are usually about $7 to my recollection, but here’s the menus for MSC Drinks . (the first menu flips through to all the non-alcoholic in the back of the menu) – About bringing water, etc. MSC Is one of the only cruise lines that literally allows no beverages to be brought on the ship. Enjoy your cruise! I hope this helps.

We are looking at doing a cruise with our teens in the spring. We don’t drink alcohol, so is it worth buying a drink package? We would like access to sodas, juices, anything non alcoholic, so wondering if you’d advise to get a drink pkg or not. Thanks!

Hi Diana – Basic tea, coffee, water is included in the fare but soda, specialty coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages aren’t included. There IS an Alcohol free package for $28/day per person +/- which is quite a bit less than the other drink packages. HOWEVER, MSC Often does a promo with the “easy” package or “easy plus” as a perk for a bit of an extra charge. Doing the math, you’ll often find that the little higher rate on a cruise that includes the drink package is far less than buying the package separately. For example, on a 7 day booking I looked and the all included fare was about $37/per person per day more expensive and the drink package was included as well as wifi and onboard credit. More benefits for less money for sure! SO be sure to check that pricing and use our drink calculator for MSC (here) to see if you even drink enough soda/non-alcoholic things to make it worth it.

Your calculator doesn’t take into account that they add a 15% gratuity to each drink, and the package includes the gratuity.

Hi Brad, thanks for the comment, we’ll make a change to the formula to include the gratuity in the calculations!

Is there a time limit in between each drink? Like a waiting period of 10/15 minutes?

Hi Sarah – There is not. We would often try a drink of the day or some specialty, hate it, and immediately order something else.

Hope this helps!

I want to get the easy drinks package but my husband cant drink due to Ill health. Do MSC take this into consideration or will we have to both buy same package.

Hi Karen – Normally with a medical notice from a doctor, the second person doesn’t have to purchase an alcohol package. HOWEVER, MSC rules change… sometimes depending on who you speak to. My experience with this is that they will request you purchase the EASY package for yourself and the NON ALCOHOLIC package for your husband. But it will have to be done by phone, and whether they ask for medical proof will likely depend on who you speak to at the time. I had friends traveling with us that were in your exact situation and they were not asked for proof but were in fact told the non drinking person has to purchase a non-alcoholic package.

Is Redbul available at no additional cost in the easy plus package?

Yes, my recollection is that energy drinks were included with the Easy Plus!

So for my wife who does not drink any alcohol is the minor package the best? Based on the menu the easy plus package covers a variety of beers is that correct vs only Heineken on the easy package.

Hi Jason, they (MSC) will likely require the Alcohol-Free Package as I believe the Minors package is truly teens and below. They’re basically the same thing, you’re just getting penalized for being a grown up 🙂 – That said, the Easy Plus package you are considering does cover all of the beers. There wasn’t a beer served that wasn’t covered by the Easy Plus. And yes, Heineken is the only thing available on the Easy Package. So if you’re a beer drinker, it’s worth looking at the Easy Plus. BUT! Keep in mind, the specials that MSC runs sometimes include the beverage packages and it may be cheaper to go ahead and book with those specials rather than cruise only and adding an Alcohol-Free Package + Easy Plus package. Even if your wife doesn’t take advantage of the alcohol, she can have all of the non-alcoholic beverages she wants and in the end the total price may be less on the promotion. Hope this helps!

If you purchase a non-alcoholic drink package, do you pay the difference for an alcoholic drink or the full price?

Hi Tom – The non alcoholic package won’t work to apply anything towards an alcoholic beverage purchase. However if you have the most basic beverage package (Easy), you can pay the difference for drinks that are more expensive than what is covered by the Easy (this is new for 2023)

Thank you, kind of what I thought. I’d have to to go easy plus since the easy package is not inclusive of some of the non-alcoholic drinks I would like.

Interesting! I’m curious about what non-alcoholic drinks you like that wouldn’t be included in the Easy Package? In our experience, everything non-alcoholic was included in the Easy Package (but there may be something I’m missing!) 🙂

What to do if one person drinks and other doesn’t on the same cabin?

Typically everyone of age in the same cabin must have the same drink package. The cruise line will make an exception for medical reasons. Mostly they don’t want one person getting the package and sharing the drinks with their cabin mate 🙁

Thank you for all of this information. It is very hard to navigate all of this from MSC website. I am not a big drinker so I wasn’t sure if the packages were necessary. Your drink calculator is very helpful . If you could answer a question: there are no frozen drinks on the easy drink menu. Does that mean there is no option for frozen margaritas?

Hi Claudia, I’m glad this information helped! We were able to get frozen drinks without a problem, as long as the liquor type was in the basic package. They didn’t distinguish between frozen or on the rocks with things like Margaritas and Daiquiris.

We are sailing to Rome from Durban 20th April and have bought 18 of the 18 unit packages, my question is does a unit mean a short and a mixer, ie, rum and coke or it that 2 units.

Hi Jennifer, we’ve done both Europe & USA cruises on MSC – and in our experience, a rum and coke was in fact a single drink. I know in Europe, it’s common to sell the mixer separate, but that does not seem to be the case on MSC Ships. I hope this helps & enjoy your cruise!

My husband and I are booked to sail from Durban in April on msc Orchestra 25 day cruise to Genoa. Please can you advise if drinks packages are on offer on the ship or if we pay per drink and are soft drinks free? If we pay per drink can you email prices so that we can work out a budget, many thanks.

Hi Ann! When you login to your MSC account you should see a way to pre-purchase the packages. If you wait until you get on the ship, they will be about 20% more expensive! We did the “easy” package which covered sodas, specialty coffee, bottled water, and quite a few basic drinks, but upgraded on another trip to the Easy Plus which gets you better beverages and allows you to use the package in the specialty restaurants (which you can’t with the basic Easy package). We put together a handy drink calculator for MSC (See the drink calculator) so you can estimate your budget based on how you normally consume. This will let you know really fast if you’re going to make the drink package worth it! I hope this helps.

Their top package used to include everything but full bottles of wine. Last time on Miraviglia it included everything on the champagne bar menu including $20 drinks. On the Seaside it used to cover the specialty chocolate drinks and gelato. Mildly disappointed. Used to be the best package. Bartenders loved it because they could make the high dollar stuff most people won’t try

I feel your disappointment! When we were on the Meraviglia , the whole drink package was so confusing that even some of the staff weren’t sure what to include or not. I had hoped they’d simplify it, but the new packages with prices were just released, and it’s still a head-scratcher.

It will be our first time on a cruise. Reading your tips is being mind and eye opening. We will make sure to have every single detail well calculated before we proceed. Thank you! Great website!

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• Cruise Line Restaurant, Room Service, and Bar Menus / Food and Drink

MSC Bar Menus and Drink Prices 2024

by Prof. Cruise · Published April 5, 2023 · Updated January 11, 2024

Are you booked on or considering a cruise on MSC? Wondering about available beverage packages, drink menus, and drink pricing? Here’s a brief description of the five available beverage packages followed by the standard MSC bar menus. These menus reflect updated offerings and pricing introduced in 2023.

MSC Beverage Packages 2024

Here’s what’s included in each of the five available beverage packages on MSC:

Easy Package

• Selected classic or international cocktails • Non-alcoholic cocktails and mixed drinks • Spirits (whisky, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, brandy – one brand per type) • House wines (red, white, sparkling, rosè) • Draft beer Heineken and bottled beer Heineken* • Soft drinks from the fountain, canned soft drinks, fruit juices by the glass and bottled • Bottled Mineral Water • Classic hot drinks (espresso, cappuccino, caffè latte, hot tea, hot chocolate)  • Beverage gratuities included

*The brand of beer may vary overtime. The Easy Package covers all the above served in bars, the buffet and the main dining room. It also includes private islands, but does not cover specialty restaurants and signature venues. 

Easy Plus Package

Includes all beverages priced up to $10!*

• Variety of frozen and classic cocktails
• Fresh fruit cocktails and protein shakes
• Well spirits, liqueurs and cordials
• Variety of draught and bottled beers
• Non-alcoholic cocktails and all non alcoholic drinks 
• Bottled Mineral Water
• Wide range of hot drinks
• 10% discount on bottles of wine purchased on board
• Selection of wines by the glass
• Beverage gratuities included

*The Easy Plus Package covers all the above served at bars, the buffet, main dining room and specialty restaurants. It also includes private islands, but does not cover signature venues.

Premium Extra Package

Includes all beverages priced up to $16!*

• Wide Selection of Premium and International cocktails
• Non-alcoholic cocktails and all non-alcoholic drinks
• Fresh fruit and protein cocktails
• Premium brand spirits, liqueurs and cordials
• Wide selection of fine wine by glass
• Champagne by glass
• Wide variety of draft and bottled beer
• Wide selection of classic and specialty hot drinks
• 25% discount on purchased of bottled wine and champagne

*The Premium Extra Package can be enjoyed in bars, the buffet, main dining room, and specialty restaurants as well as on private islands, but does not cover signature venues.

Alcohol-Free Package

• Non-alcoholic cocktails
• Energy drinks
• Flavored water
• Soda by glass and bottle
• Soft serve ice cream

*The Alcoholic-Free Package can be used in bars, the buffet, main dining room, and on private islands, but not in specialty restaurants and signature venues. 

Minors Package

*The Minors Package can be used in bars, the buffet, main dining room, and on private islands, but not in the specialty restaurants and signature venues.

MSC Bar Menus 2024 (Standard Fleet-Wide)

Gin and Tonics Available on MSC Cruises

Spritz Cocktails Available on MSC Cruises

Premium Cocktails Available on MSC Cruises

Frozen Drinks Available on MSC Cruises

Classic Cocktails Available on MSC Cruises

Tropical Cocktails Available on MSC Cruises

Mocktails Available on MSC Cruises

Spirits Available on MSC Cruises

Liqueurs and Cordials Available on MSC Cruises

Beer Available on MSC Cruises

Wine Available on MSC Cruises

Fruit Juice, Mineral Water, Energy Drinks, and Sodas Available on MSC Cruises

Specialty Coffee Available on MSC Cruises

And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Homework (10 points): Check out sample MSC dinner menus HERE and share your favorite cruise drink to the comments.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling down if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on your favorite social media sites:

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Thanks for the uploads. This are great infos. I wonder why MSC is not providing this infos on their webside. BUT are this menus now after the updates from 27. February 2023? The prices changed then and also the assembling of the drinks in the individual package changed as well. Just wanted to make sure if this menus here are from after the 27th Feb 2023? Thanks Tom

Hi, I wil travel the 1st of june on the MSC Divina leaving from Barcelona, I need to Underestand how the drink package works?, how much they are? price is per day? per the all crucie? Wath they incloude?

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising.  Home port: Seattle.  Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human.  Lover of books and dessert.  Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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Yacht club - ok for 4 children?

By ChicagoCruisin , October 19, 2020 in MSC Cruises

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ChicagoCruisin

Hello!  Considering Yacht club on MSC, but wondering if its the right choice for us.  We have a 4 year old.  Are the public spaces in YC kid friendly?  Or would non-YC cabin be a better choice?

Thank you VERY much for your thoughts and opinions!   🙂

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I would agree with the previous poster, there is a kids club outside YC which is very good. Maybe book Aurea now and see how it goes for a future cruise .

1 hour ago, ChicagoCruisin said: Hello!  Considering Yacht club on MSC, but wondering if its the right choice for us.  We have a 4 year old.  Are the public spaces in YC kid friendly?  Or would non-YC cabin be a better choice? Thank you VERY much for your thoughts and opinions!   🙂

Having sailed YC three times, I cannot recall anything in the YC area that could be described as 'kid friendly'.....other than the chocolate goodies and snacks! The pool is very small, and designed really for adults. That said, there is NOTHING to stop you taking a 4 year old and the YC crew will be more than welcoming towards a child....we have witnessed that, and interacted with the parents who said it was working well for them.

As parents of 3 (now adult) children, we would not have chosen the YC with them.

Norwich Cruiser

2 hours ago, ChicagoCruisin said: Hello!  Considering Yacht club on MSC, but wondering if its the right choice for us.  We have a 4 year old.  Are the public spaces in YC kid friendly?  Or would non-YC cabin be a better choice? Thank you VERY much for your thoughts and opinions!   🙂

We’ve cruised with our pretty well behaved grandchildren in yacht club without any troubles whatsoever.

Never had a problem from staff or fellow  cruisers plus there are usual we’ve found on certain sailings other children in there.

When they want a swim or play in the water park etc we simply exit the yacht club and go with them or there parents go with them to the larger pools and play areas never had any issues.

I’m raising two small children. It truly depends on what your 4 year old kid is like. If he can be entertained, and his behavior doesn’t hinge on traditional kid activities, he’ll do well in the YC public areas. If he needs the type of stimulation that more kid friendly areas provide, then not so much. 

Keep in mind that you’ll still have access to the kids club even if staying in the YC, so you can always drop him off for a few hours at the club so that he can have his kind of fun while you have your kind of fun at the YC. 

The more you cruise with your child, the more you’ll figure out what he likes and dislikes. With my kids, I’ve learned that they don’t necessarily care about the more traditional type of kid programming found on some family friendly cruise lines, and they actually prefer a more low key, less crowded atmosphere.  

One thing that we did learn on our last MSC cruise is that, when traveling with small children, it’s better to get a larger stateroom or suite that may not have YC benefits. We had the choice of a smaller YC stateroom or an Aurea suite, and we went with the Aurea Suite. BEST decision. The extra space with small children was heaven sent. And while we didn’t have all the perks and exclusivity found in the YC, we thoroughly enjoyed all the perks that did come with the Aurea Suite.

No matter what, have a great cruise!

Two Wheels Only

It really depends on how the children behave and what they are used to. My (then 7 years-old and almost 5 years-old) kids had a great time in the YC and we currently have 3 more YC cruises booked. We've also sailed in the NCL Haven multiple times including when one was as young as 2 years-old. She wasn't even the youngest in the Haven at the time. 

The staff enjoyed having the kids around. Never received an unusual look from any of the guests. 

HOWEVER, if one is the type of parent who allows their child to climb on furniture in the lounge or scream/yell which will obviously annoy others, please stay away from the MSC Yacht Club and the NCL Haven. 

6 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said: It really depends on how the children behave and what they are used to. My (then 7 years-old and almost 5 years-old) kids had a great time in the YC and we currently have 3 more YC cruises booked. We've also sailed in the NCL Haven multiple times including when one was as young as 2 years-old. She wasn't even the youngest in the Haven at the time.    The staff enjoyed having the kids around. Never received an unusual look from any of the guests.    HOWEVER, if one is the type of parent who allows their child to climb on furniture in the lounge or scream/yell which will obviously annoy others, please stay away from the MSC Yacht Club and the NCL Haven. 

Just what I wanted to say, some people think everyone else should put up with a screaming or badly behaved child, I book YC to escape that. 

3 hours ago, emmas gran said:   Just what I wanted to say, some people think everyone else should put up with a screaming or badly behaved child, I book YC to escape that. 

We’ve never seen any badly behaved children in any of our yacht club sailings.

1 hour ago, Norwich Cruiser said: We’ve never seen any badly behaved children in any of our yacht club sailings.

As I said I book YC to avoid it!!

Perfect thank you all for the feedback, that is exactly what i was looking for!  

CruisingFox27

15 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said: It really depends on how the children behave and what they are used to. My (then 7 years-old and almost 5 years-old) kids had a great time in the YC and we currently have 3 more YC cruises booked. We've also sailed in the NCL Haven multiple times including when one was as young as 2 years-old. She wasn't even the youngest in the Haven at the time.    The staff enjoyed having the kids around. Never received an unusual look from any of the guests.    HOWEVER, if one is the type of parent who allows their child to climb on furniture in the lounge or scream/yell which will obviously annoy others, please stay away from the MSC Yacht Club and the NCL Haven. 

Stay away entirely. I don't want it on a relaxing holiday, regardless of the experience level chosen. Although the same can apply to adults behaviour....

Toofarfromthesea

7 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said: We’ve never seen any badly behaved children in any of our yacht club sailings.

I have.  On our 5/19 Meraviglia Baltic cruise we had the girl from hell in the Yacht Club.  This kid (maybe age 8) literally screamed in her grandmother's face at dinner and ran rampant in the lounge and no one in the family (parents, grandparents) did a thing about it.  It made it very uncomfortable for the staff.  Fortunately they got off after the first leg.  Relief at them leaving was the topic of a lot of conversations the first day of the second leg when we realized they were gone.

Let me add that there were several kids in that YC who behaved fine, and were not a problem.  So I don't think the problem was with kids in general, just this little girl.  And there is the fact that different nationalities have very different notions of child-bearing and what is acceptable behavior.

1 hour ago, CruisingFox27 said:   Stay away entirely. I don't want it on a relaxing holiday, regardless of the experience level chosen. Although the same can apply to adults behaviour....

Yup, like the bozo on our last YC cruise that thought it was fine to have a loud Skype conversation in the lounge that was impossible to filter out.  

3 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:   I have.  On our 5/19 Meraviglia Baltic cruise we had the girl from hell in the Yacht Club.  This kid (maybe age 8) literally screamed in her grandmother's face at dinner and ran rampant in the lounge and no one in the family (parents, grandparents) did a thing about it.  It made it very uncomfortable for the staff.  Fortunately they got off after the first leg.  Relief at them leaving was the topic of a lot of conversations the first day of the second leg when we realized they were gone.   Let me add that there were several kids in that YC who behaved fine, and were not a problem.  So I don't think the problem was with kids in general, just this little girl.  And there is the fact that different nationalities have very different notions of child-bearing and what is acceptable behavior.

That’s awful.

Got to blame the parents.

On my MSC Meraviglia cruise in January, I was surprised to see a family with two young children of elementary school age.  Well behaved.  Once the family was seated at a table next to mine at dinner so I could directly observe.  Their table manners were better than some adults; they handled fine dining exceptionally well.  The staff gave them extra attention; Maitre d' Arthur in particular was very kind to them.  

As others have said, the YC facilities are not designed for children, but nothing to prevent them from using the children's facilities and programs elsewhere on the ship.  I found myself spending more time outside of the YC enclave than I expected simply because I wanted more variety of public spaces and entertainment than the YC provided.  

I thought the YC Suite with balcony was plenty roomy for two adults and one or two small children.  If the weather is OK and more "room" for some reason is needed, utilize the balcony as a place for the children to "play" or for a parent to "escape to" for awhile.    

26 minutes ago, Norwich Cruiser said: That’s awful.   Got to blame the parents.

Yeah, but you get into rocks and shoals when the family is from a different culture.  IAC, as retired Junior High teachers, my wife and I can pretty well handle anything.  And we never let anything ruin our cruise.

But we were still delighted when we found out they weren't on the second leg.

7 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:   Yeah, but you get into rocks and shoals when the family is from a different culture.  IAC, as retired Junior High teachers, my wife and I can pretty well handle anything.  And we never let anything ruin our cruise.   But we were still delighted when we found out they weren't on the second leg.

That’s very true.

We would have been delighted also.

13 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said: We’ve never seen any badly behaved children in any of our yacht club sailings.

We’ve taken our 8 and 10 year old kids on 5 different cruise lines. One thing that my wife and I have noticed is that, on higher tier cruise lines and accommodations, there are considerably less children but they tend to be considerably better behaved and monitored by their parents.   

When we’ve sailed on some more family friendly cruise lines like Carnival, not only are there more children, but at times it seems to be a free for all, with hordes of kids roaming the ship, many unattended taking over public areas (more prominent on pools, hot tubs, elevators and buffets), some terrorizing other passengers, without an adult in sign willing to curve that behavior.   

On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve taken our kids on more adult, less family friendly lines like Holland America (our last cruise was on them), where there have only been a handful of kids onboard. But even though the kids program is less elaborate and the kids activities are considerably more limited, the kids we did see were always with their parents, well behaved, adjusting well to the more adult atmosphere, and abiding by established protocols.   

With that said, I do consider that MSC provides a very good experience for the entire family, with a well developed program for children. Of all the cruise lines we’ve sailed on, we rank their kids program at the top (even better than what we’ve experienced on Disney).  

One thing to keep in mind is that MSC caters to a more diverse and international crowd than its Americans competitors, so you do need to sail on them with the understanding that fellow cruisers will have diverging ideas on what expected behavior should be. Do embrace the differences rather than be annoyed by them. Our last MSC Cruise was in the Mediterranean, and a big reason why it was so enjoyable was exactly because of the very diverse clientele on that sailing. 

5 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:   Yup, like the bozo on our last YC cruise that thought it was fine to have a loud Skype conversation in the lounge that was impossible to filter out.  

I'll raise you the group shouting and singing in the jacuzzi all afternoon, which they continued in the restaurant in the evening. As this was on Seaside it ruined the evening for everyone in the restaurant and TSL. The poor Maitre'd and concierge were besieged with complaints. 

I like to sit next to the loud telephone/video conversation people and point out interesting features and start randomly laughing loudly  😁

Happy Cruiser 6143

On 10/20/2020 at 5:38 AM, Norwich Cruiser said: We’ve never seen any badly behaved children in any of our yacht club sailings.

I wish I could say the same.  Sadly, I can't.

You are going to see responses both ways similarly whether it is MSC YC or NCL Haven.  For YC, as pointed out, there really isn't anything geared towards kids other than food (not kid type food necessarily, just an abundance and variety).  

We've done three - the first was Divinia during the summer time.  There was an extended family there with one of the families consisting of Octomom.  Whenever we ran into them, they were all over the place doing things that should have been corrected by parents.  They even let the diapered kid into the YC pool.  Even outside the YC, the dads were trying to track down the kids who had gone several floors up the stairs and kept going.  We spent a lot of time in YC areas and luckily this family wasn't too much which made it tolerable.

Second trip was during March and there weren't many kids surprisingly during spring break time.  Third time was again during the summer and there were quite a few kids, even younger.  All were well behaved.  Many were always out by the pool just chilling in the loungers or pool (note their pools are pretty deep in YC).  The TSL really doesn't seem to appeal to them much when there is so much else around the ship.  We only saw one instance where three kids were running around in the TSL while parents were there.

Both MSC and NCL in some ways promote these areas for families so ignore any cranks who say no kids should be allowed since both lines allow it.  Obviously though, it is on the parents to be parents which as you go about doing things where you live, you see that not always happening.

Bottom line, you'll probably spend quite a bit of time outside of the YC but the YC does offer (normally) a very quiet and less crowded area with great services.

On 10/20/2020 at 4:49 PM, Toofarfromthesea said: as retired Junior High teachers, my wife and I can pretty well handle anything.

Also a retired Junior High/Middle School teacher who has been known to put my "teacher hat" on during a cruise for a variety of reasons.  

On 10/20/2020 at 6:58 PM, Tapi said:  Do embrace the differences rather than be annoyed by them. Our last MSC Cruise was in the Mediterranean, and a big reason why it was so enjoyable was exactly because of the very diverse clientele on that sailing. 

The diverse clientele aboard my January MSC Meraviglia cruise was something that I expected and did find it to be a refreshing experience.  The most difficult of that experience was during the M&G when I managed to choose a couple with whom to sit who were Russian whose English was minimal and my Russian is non-existent.  Sign language partly helped, but, needless to say, there was no discussion of "how's life in Moscow or in Washington these days."

StolidCruiser

On 10/20/2020 at 7:03 PM, CruisingFox27 said:   I like to sit next to the loud telephone/video conversation people and point out interesting features and start randomly laughing loudly  😁

I do the same to people who think it’s acceptable to have loud cellphone conversations in public. 

Sometimes they’ll interrupt their conversation to give me the stinkeye.  I am simply equally as vocal in expressing how fascinating their conversation is and how appreciative I am to get to listen to it. 

Same goes for those who meander the aisles at stores conversing at top volume into their cellphones while they pick through the shelves. I follow them with an intent listening ear since they seem to be fine yammering about in public while thinking everyone else should avoid them.

People who do this will continue to do so if others are simply too afraid to calmly and reasonably address the poor behavior.  

All, with many NCL Havens and 1 MSC YC, which I loved btw... I think my next cruise will be on Virgin.  The “21 and over” really appeals to me.  Curious.  Balcony with hammock too.   

That being said I have not had a bad experience  with unruly kids but have read about them.  I love well-behaved kids and enjoy seeing them have a great time.  It is their vacation too. 

41 minutes ago, DMH15 said: ... I think my next cruise will be on Virgin.  The “21 and over” really appeals to me.  Curious.  Balcony with hammock too. 

I have my eyes on Virgin also for my 20th wedding anniversary coming up, not so much because they don’t allow children, but because I think that the price point will scare off the bargain hunter, beer bucket, party till you drop clientele, which in my experience can be more annoying than misbehaved children. I may be wrong, but I envision a bit more sophisticated, contemporary young adult clientele.   

One thing that is giving me a bit of pause is their  stateroom configuration (with no real beds, but with a day sofa that converts to a bed at night). If I do it, I’ll probably be looking at one of the Rockstar Suites that do come with a real bed. Would love to try a Mega Rockstar suite but those are beyond what I’m willing to pay. 

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21 Important Things to Know About MSC Cruise

A re you going on a cruise on MSC cruise? Here are some essential cruise tips and important things to know about MSC cruises that will help you maximize your cruise vacation.

Texting is free at MSC Cruise! You can text for free via the MSC Cruise app chat feature. The best part is you don’t even have to be subscribed to their WiFi plan. You can just connect to their free MSC WiFi hotspot to access the cruise app for texting. It’s a great feature to have so you can easily communicate and make plans with family and friends during your cruise. The only downside is that they won’t let kids join the chat feature for privacy reasons so my 12 year old son was always left out of the family group chat. 

White Party

Don’t forget to pack your white outfit for the White Party on MSC. The White Party is a well-loved event on MSC cruises. 

On the night of the White Party, you’ll spot a lot of people dressed in white for dinner. This popular event takes place on the pool deck after dinner. The atmosphere is fun and family-friendly, with black lights making your white clothes glow. 

The cruise staff even organizes group dances to get everyone up and dancing. While it’s not mandatory to wear white, joining in the fun adds to the experience. Besides, it’s the perfect opportunity to capture a family photo after dinner, with everyone decked out in white attire.

Dinner Assignment

At MSC Cruise, you will receive your table, restaurant, and dining time assignment on the first day of your cruise. This information will be printed on your cruise key card. 

If you’re not happy with your dinner assignment, you should go to the designated food and beverage staff on the first day, who will handle any changes.

Main Dining Room

When you board the ship, find out which dining rooms have three seatings. You want to be seated in the dining room with only two seatings; otherwise, you will feel rushed during dinner. 

If you end up being assigned to the dining room with three seating areas, see if you can switch to another dining room on the first day.

It’s Not all Pizza and Pasta

You’ve probably read reviews praising the pizza and pasta on MSC cruise ships since it’s an Italian cruise line. While the pizza and pasta are undeniably good (the lasagna is even better than the pizza), you’ll also find a range of sophisticated food options on MSC cruises. 

Some of the stand-out dishes on MSC cruises are braised short ribs, osso bucco, fried calamari, Japanese karaage chicken, Caprese salad, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and vegetable spring rolls. 

Make sure you have cake for dessert at your next MSC cruise! Their cakes have been consistently delicious. 

The carrot cake is delicious, and the Grandma’s Chocolate cake is amazing.

Delicious Caesar Salad

The Caesar salad on MSC Meragvilia is amazing. It’s, without a doubt, the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had on any cruise ship.

It’s so good that my son, who never eats vegetables, got hooked. He can’t get enough Caesar salad! 

I don’t know if this is unique to MSC Meragvilia or if the Caesar salad is equally amazing on all MSC cruise ships. (I sure hope so!)

Restaurant Menu

Unlike other cruise lines, the restaurant menu at MSC Cruises is not printed. The waiters typically bring a few printed menus, but it’s never enough for everyone at the table. Guests are expected to scan the QR code on their table to access the menu electronically on their phones. 

It’s quite inconvenient. In my experience, we always end up sharing menus, which is not ideal and detracts from the dining experience. Also, not everyone has a phone, especially kids, so you’ll inevitably have to share menus from a tiny cellphone screen!

Free Juices

MSC Cruise serves complimentary lemonade, iced tea, and a selection of juices, including apple, pineapple, and mango. The best part is that these complimentary drinks are available all day, not just during breakfast. You can help yourself to these free beverages from the drink dispenser at the buffet.

Book Shore Excursions in Advance

If you want to save money, you should book your shore excursions in advance. It really is a lot cheaper to book it online on MSC’s website prior to boarding the ship. 

Do know that they close advance bookings two days before sailing. I tried to book the day before, and it didn’t work. So, don’t procrastinate on this. 

Even rentals on Ocean Cay, their private island, are cheaper if you book ahead. For example, if you book an umbrella rental in advance, it’s $19 per day, but if you wait until the cruise, it’s $29 per day.

Keycard on the Door

When checking in, instead of receiving your cruise keycard at the terminal like with other cruise lines, you’ll be directed to your cabin, where your keycards will be hanging on the door.

Cruise Card Kiosks

Before boarding your MSC cruise, you’ll have the option to link your credit card to your cruise card on the MSC cruise website. If you don’t, you can link your credit card on the cruise ship or pay in cash during the cruise. 

If you are worried you will have to stand in line at guest services just to link your credit card, don’t worry. The nice thing about MSC Cruise is you can easily link your credit card to your cabin keycard at the cruise card kiosks located throughout the ship. There is no need to waste your time standing in line at guest services!

MSC Cruise App

Don’t forget to download the MSC cruise app before you board the ship. You can also download it while you’re on the ship, but I think it’s easier and probably faster to do it using your home WiFi. 

The MSC cruise app is a must while you’re on board. It allows you to text other passengers, check your billing statement, and make theater reservations.

Daily Planner

Don’t be surprised if you don’t get a printed daily planner delivered to your cabin every evening. Instead, you’re supposed to use a QR code to access a digital version of the daily planner as a PDF. 

Personally, I find it a bit inconvenient because I’m always searching for the paper with the QR code on it. I really wish they would just print out the daily planner! Or at least give you the option to get a printed daily planner if you want. 

You’ll need to book theater reservations for your cruise. There are three seatings to choose from. 

A cruise staff member will be at the door to scan your cruise card so you cannot sneak into the theater. If you don’t have reservations, you can still watch the show. All you have to do is wait for the staff to leave and go in late. But do know, you will end up with bad seats. 

My advice is to reserve your theater seats for every evening using the MSC cruise app. It’s easy—just do it on the first day, and you won’t have to worry about it again.

You can register for the Kids Club on embarkation day. Complete a registration form, and your child will receive a wristband that they must wear throughout the entire cruise. This only applies to children under 12 years old. 

Those older than 12 don’t need to register and won’t get a wristband. They can just hang out at the teen club, which has video games, board games and foosball.

Adults Only Pool

There is an adults-only pool on MSC cruises. On MSC Meragvilia, the adults-only pool is at the back of the cruise ship. It’s an outdoor pool with a bar, hot tubs and plenty of lounge chairs. 

Do Online Check-In with a Camera

When checking in online for your MSC cruise, make sure to use a computer with a built-in camera. It’s important to have a camera because you’ll be required to take a picture of yourself during the check-in process. 

Also, make sure you are in a well-lit area. The website is very sensitive and will ask you to move to a brighter location to take your photo. 

Also, after completing your online check-in, make sure you have access to a printer so you can print out your cruise documents, which are needed at the cruise terminal on embarkation day. You will also need to print out your luggage tags for your check-in luggage. 

Different Levels

MSC Cruises is quite similar to Norwegian Cruise Lines in terms of having different classes for passengers. For Norwegian, there are haven and non-haven passengers, while MSC Cruise has the Yacht Club and non-Yacht Club passengers. However, MSC Cruise further divides non-Yacht Club passengers into 3 different classes. 

On MSC Cruise, the lowest class is the Bella Experience. This means you pay the cheapest fare, but you can’t select your cruise cabin; it’s like a guaranteed fare. As a Bella passenger, you’ll incur several extra fees, such as additional room service fees.

The next level up is the Fantastica experience, which is the second cheapest cruise fare. The main advantage is being able to choose your cruise cabin in advance. 

For both Bella and Fantastica passengers, the dining room seating is assigned. Upon boarding the cruise ship, you’ll be allocated a restaurant, table, and dining time. I honestly think there is not much difference between Bella and Fantastic Experience.

The next level up is the Aurea experience passenger. Aurea passengers pay more for their cruise but receive premium rooms, such as mid-ship cabins with larger balconies or cabins with jacuzzi in their private terraces. They also have access to the spa thermal area, the solarium, and they get priority boarding. 

The most significant difference is that they have anytime dining, allowing Aurea passengers to eat whenever they want, seated in a less crowded section of the main dining room. If you value the spa experience, then Aurea is worth it, but if not, you’ll be happy as a Fantastica passenger.

One thing to note is that the food menu remains the same for Aurea, Fantastica, and Bella passengers. Aurea passengers also go to the same buffet as Fantastica and Bella passengers.

Finally, the most expensive and most exclusive level on MSC Cruises is the Yacht Club. Yacht Club passengers receive the red carpet treatment, a suite with access to the exclusive Yacht Club restaurant, solarium, and Ocean House beach on Ocean Cay. They experience VIP treatment with a dedicated butler and perks like reserved seats at the theater. Plus, they receive priority embarkation, and everything is included, such as a premium beverage package, high-speed internet, and thermal spa access.

Room Service

If you’re sailing with MSC Cruises, be aware that there is a charge for room service. This is not unique to MSC since many other cruise lines also charge a fee for room service.

Continental breakfast room service is complimentary for Fantastica passengers, but if you order non-continental breakfast items like eggs, omelets, and breakfast meats, you will be charged a room service fee.

For Bella experience passengers, there is a room service charge regardless of whether you order continental or non-continental breakfast. It is much more expensive to order non-continental breakfast. 

If your cruise stops at Ocean Cay, MSC Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, you shouldn’t miss it! It’s an incredibly beautiful private island, arguably one of the best among cruise line private islands. 

The water is stunning turquoise, and the sand is incredibly soft and white. The island has over seven beaches, ranging from secluded private beaches to the exclusive Ocean House beach for Yacht Club passengers and lagoon-facing beaches. The best part is there is no need for tender boats to get to Ocean Cay; the cruise ship can dock directly at the island!

There’s also a lighthouse on the island, and at night, there is a beautiful evening lighthouse show. If you’re on the starboard side of the cruise ship, you can even catch the lighthouse show from your balcony cabin. Check out 22 Things to Pack in Your Cruise Private Island Beach Bag (Free Packing List)

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