Booking with MSC cruises was different than booking with other cruise lines. Guests customize their cruise experience by selecting from several experiences. The experience based pricing structure allows guests to personalize their cruise based on their unique needs and wants. We purchased the MSC Aurea Experience during our recent sailing on the MSC Magnifica. Since we weren’t entirely sure what to expect with the experience, we’ve created this article to help you understand what’s included and to help you determine if it’s worth the cost.
The MSC Area experience has changed drastically over the years. Previously, the benefits far exceeded the cost, in my opinion. As the benefits have changed (been reduced), you need to do a little research to see what’s right for you.
Current info on the Aurea experience can be found HERE.
So, is the Aurea experience still worth it? Below is what is included with the Aurea experience as of July 2024. Depending on your preferences, the Aurea experience may still be for you. Take a look at what is included with the Aurea experience to see if you will use the benefits.
Personally, I enjoy the thermal area and like to visit while cruising. The rate is approximately $110 per adult if purchased onboard. The Aurea experience gets you into the thermal area for 1 hour, 1 time per day and reservations are required but you can likely walk in on less busy times such as port days and evenings. I always prefer to go when it will be less busy anyways as I feel it’s more relaxing.
If you are getting a drink package, the Prosecco won’t be an added benefit cost wise. I enjoy having a welcome bottle in my stateroom, but I don’t factor this into the monetary value of the experience since I typically sail with the drink package. Access to the Solarium is great for those of us who like to relax away from the crush of other sailors. My kids are now almost 18 and 21, so being able to get away from the little ones while on vacation is a huge benefit to us. Please note that the benefits no longer state that the solarium is adults only, but it’s always been adults only on our cruises.
Another great benefit is free 24-hour room service. I love to have coffee and a light breakfast on our balcony. Plus, the kids always want to eat again later in the evening when most dining has closed. Having free room service is a great benefit for my family. The one free cruise change option is also a great benefit. Many lines charge a fee to make a change to your cruise.
Additionally, having priority boarding is a fantastic benefit. We always arrive at our departure city at least one day in advance (this is highly recommended). Therefore, we usually need to be out of our hotel room by 11am. It’s great to be able to go straight from the hotel to the port and get onboard quickly to start our vacation.
MSC has also been offering promotions for drinks and wifi included. Look into these offers to see if it makes sense for your voyage.
- Access to thermal area (for adults only, upon reservation)
- Welcome Package (Prosecco + Chocolate)
- Dine any time you choose
- Free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium
- Discounted drink package option available at the time of booking*
- 10% discount on all spa treatments purchased on board
- Priority boarding & luggage drop off
- Opportunity to choose the stateroom and its location
- One free cruise change (Booking Terms and Conditions apply)
- Free continental breakfast in stateroom (free delivery)
- 24-hour room service (free delivery)*
Overall, I am disappointed with the changes made to the Aurea experience, but I still believe you can get value out of it depending on the cost during your cruise. What do you think?
As I mentioned in my MSC Cruise Travel Secrets article, each experience provides different benefits and also dictates which staterooms are available for booking.
- The “Bella” Experience is perfect for budget savvy travelers.
- The “Fantastica” Experience offers more ideally located staterooms, free room service, and a discounted drink package.
- The “Aurea” Experience offers access to the thermal area, access to the solarium, free room service and more.
- The MSC Yacht Club offers all-inclusive amenities and is the top tier experience for cruisers.
UPDATE – August 2022 from experience from cruiser Sebastien:
MSC Aurea has been majorly changed, it has been downgraded immensely.
No more drink package, no more free massage, and the priority boarding has lost it’s value since the new boarding procedures became active (everybody has a specific time to be allowed to board the ship – you cannot come early and Aurea members are not prioritised in this system)
I booked in June 2022 Aurea and our boarding time was just 1 hour before departure 17h…we learned on the ship, new people who just had inside Bella cabins and who boarded at 11am … (6 hours before us)
On board they told us we didn’t get a free massage , and to get the discount of 40% we had to book a massage BEFORE entering the ship at listing prices… (who are actually 400% times more expensive then a massage in a beautysalon)
On top of that , when you are on the ship, it is not uncommon to find 30 or 40% discounts on spa massages every 2 or 3 days in the next day activities paper (applicable for all passengers, not only for aurea)
As for the better cabins it also doesn’t matter anymore because since June you can book those better cabins separately , it’s called premium cabins. If you choose deluxe cabins you risk having a lifesavingsboat in front of your cabin or a side panel…so don’t choose deluxe cabins, not even as aurea…so Deluxe cabins are the cheapest worst placed cabins (why did they call it deluxe???)
Pillow menu also doesn’t exist anymore, there are only two pillows to choose from, and actually anybody can request them (not only for Aurea)
To recapulate:
Aurea does not guarantee priority boarding anymore, it does not include drinking packages anymore , no more free massage, no insurance of having a obstruction free cabin (lifesavingsboat or windpanels)
The only thing left in aurea is:
1) My choice dinner (but actually you can request that on the boat even if you are not aurea and you don’t want to sit with other people)
2) Access to the solarium deck (but you can also purchase day passes…and remember it is adults only, dont purchase aurea if you have -18y children)
3) Access to the thermal spa (but with covid restrictions most is still closed until 2023) and you can still purchase this access on board…children not allowed
Don’t waist your money on Aurea anymore
ps: Drinking packages now also are a bit changed: If you take the default alcohol package “easy” you get significantly downgraded. you are not allowed to drink bottled drinks anymore like juices or sodas. You are not allowed to have coffees or ice scream anymore. Strangly enough if you get the cheaper NON-alcohol package you get it all back…we upgraded on the boat from non alcohol package to easy package and were not allowed to drink coffee or canned juices anymore because we upgraded…if we wanted it back, we would be required to upgrade to the premium packages…also with easy you are not allowed to drink in the speciality restaurants??? wow MSC made being on a vacations very very difficult (all these exceptions and rules)
MSC Aurea Experience
Preference of staterooms was one of the greatest concerns of the package for my family. Guests will have the opportunity to choose amongst the best staterooms available.
Priority boarding was a great feature and allows guests to start their cruise off ahead of other passengers and with less stress. The MSC Aurea Experience enables cruisers to go to the front of the line and board before other waiting passengers. We arrived around 12:30 pm for our cruise sailing out of Genoa, Italy. The people that came in at the same time as us were given a boarding card with #19. When we jumped the line and were going through security, those with #15 cards were just being called.
However, it was difficult to know where to go with our Priority Boarding card. There wasn’t a separate line for priority. There was a sign but only one person was working in the area & it wasn’t clear where we were supposed to go. Do we wait in the line to pick up paperwork or walk to the front? We waited but were then ushered into a roped off line with only one other couple in front of us. We avoided the line with 30+ people waiting! We were then next to have our boarding documents and passports verified.
By the time our documents were checked, a long line had already formed at security. Again, we weren’t really sure what to do. Derrick walked to the front and realized all the people were standing around waiting for their card number to be displayed. We walked up with our Priority Boarding card and were allowed immediate access through security and onto the ship. The entire process from arrival to boarding was approximately 30 minutes.
Although the boarding process was easy for us, I could see where it would be unorganized and chaotic as more cruisers arrived at the port.
Priority Disembarkation was also included although it wasn’t mentioned in the cruise documents. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of being the first one off the ship, it was nice not to have to wait around. MSC Voyagers Black Card Members and Aurea Experience guests were the first to disembark. However, I preferred the benefit of NCL’s priority disembarkation where we could show up anytime between set hours and be escorted off the ship.
Allegrissimo Drink Package is an unlimited drink packages which included specialty coffee, bottled water (still or sparkling), wine, beer, cocktails, soft drinks and gelato. The package is valid for non-premium alcohol only. The cost without the MSC Aurea Experience was 26€ per day for adults or 12€ per day for children.
It was a bit disappointing to have a mid-level drink package with the Aurea Experience. There was only one beer choice (Heineken) and low grade wine choices.
Since Heineken was the same price as several other beers, it was ridiculous to only have one included in the package. Also the wine selection wasn’t great. There were only 2 whites, 2 reds and 1 rosé. Even though other glasses are the same price. Though, thankfully, more wine choices were included than beer.
The package does include a variety of cocktails just not with premium liquor.
The kids loved the package. Even though they don’t drink a lot of soda, having the treats of gelato, milkshakes, smoothies and kids cocktails made them happy. However at 12€ per day, I’m not sure it’s worth it. As kids cocktails and milkshakes are 4.20€ each, they needed to consume at least 3 treats per day to break even.
Sundaes aren’t included, but the kids didn’t miss them with all the gelato, milkshakes and slushes at their disposal.
For those whose experience didn’t include the drink package but wanted it as an add-on, I think it would be a little irritating to discover that everyone in the stateroom has to purchase the package. Had we gone that route, Derrick and I wouldn’t have been able to get a drink package and not have the kids get a package. Or vice versa. Without the Aurea Experience, it would have been a huge added cost to the price of the cruise.
My Choice Dining was a nice bonus as we never knew exactly when we would want eat. For the first couple of days, I made reservations in advance, so we didn’t have to wait but we did find that 6:30 was a good time to get a table. The popular settings were after 7pm. Tables for My Choice Dining were reserved in a dedicated part of the restaurant.
Wellbeing Package included one massage from the spa menu, tanning shower, spa welcome cocktail (strawberry smoothie) and access to the thermal area throughout the duration of the cruise. The thermal area includes full access to the sauna, Turkish baths and 3 whirlpools in the Aurea Spa.
We chose the couples massage, but guests can pick their preferred massage from the spa menu. There were a few specialty massages not included with the package, but most were available for booking.
Access to the thermal area was a great bonus. This is the first cruise we’ve used saunas and found it a great way to relax. Plus the area wasn’t crowded, so we were able to use the whirlpools without the crowds.
Free Room Service between 6 am – 11pm. This is perfect for having breakfast delivered to your room.
Free kids foreign language and master chef class was subject to availability. However, the kids cooking class that was offered during our cruise was available to everyone in the Kids Club, according to Lucy. So while I thought this would be a great feature, it’s not something necessarily exclusive for Aurea Experience guests.
Compare the experiences here.
So, why did we choose the MSC Aurea Experience? During our cruise, there were two embarkation ports – Genoa and Civitavecchia, Italy. Remaining staterooms available for booking were not only limited by the embarkation port, but to the experience purchased as well. If we cruised out of Genoa, I needed the Aurea Experience t0 get my desired room. If I sailed out of Civitavecchia, I didn’t need the Aurea Experience to get one of my choice rooms.
However, once we calculated the cost of flying into Rome, transportation to the port, an overnight stay, and the approximate cost of alcohol, we were almost to the cost of purchasing the Aurea Experience and sailing out of Genoa, so this is the one we chose. Since massages and a few other perks were also included, the cost made sense for our family.
While I wouldn’t pay for most of the benefits of the Area Experience on a normal cruise, it was worth the cost as a package in our situation. Calculate the rates and benefits to determine which experience is best for you.
I hope this has helped clear up any questions on the MSC Aurea Experience. If you’ve sailed with MSC, which experience did you purchase?
Don’t miss our MSC Cruise Travel Secrets! We have over 20 tips & tricks for sailing with MSC.
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What do I get with the Aurea package.
https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/experiences-staterooms
You still get some good perks, it’s just not as great as it used to be
Can you update the article?
MSC Aurea has been majorly changed, it has been downgraded immensely.
No more drink package, no more free massage, and the priority boarding has lost it’s value since the new boarding procedures became active (everybody has a specific time to be allowed to board the ship – you cannot come early and Aurea members are not prioritised in this system)
I booked in June Aurea and our boarding time was just 1 hour before departure 17h…we learned on the ship, new people who just had inside Bella cabins and who boarded at 11am … (6 hours before us)
On board they told us we didn’t get a free massage , and to get the discount of 40% we had to book a massage BEFORE entering the ship at listing prices… (who are actually 400% times more expensive then a massage in a beautysalon)
On top of that , when you are on the ship, it is not uncommon to find 30 or 40% discounts on spa massages every 2 or 3 days in the next day activities paper (applicable for all passengers, not only for aurea)
As for the better cabins it also doesn’t matter anymore because since june you can book those better cabins separately , it’ called premium cabins. If you choose deluxe cabins you risk having a lifesavingsboat in front of your cabin or a side panel…so don’t choose deluxe cabins, not even as aurea…so Deluxe cabins are the cheapest worst placed cabins (why did they call it deluxe???)
Pillow menu also doesn’t exist anymore, there are only two pillows to choose from, and actually anybody can request them (not only for Aurea)
To recapulate:
Aurea does not guarantee priority boarding anymore, it does not include drinking packages anymore , no more free massage, no insurance of having a obstruction free cabin (lifesavingsboat or windpanels)
The only thing left in aurea is:
1) My choice dinner (but actually you can request that on the boat even if you are not aurea and you don’t want to sit with other people)
2) access to the solarium deck (but you can also purchase day passes…and remember it is adults only, dont purchase aurea if you have -18y children)
3) access to the thermal spa (but with covid restrictions most is still closed until 2023) and you can still purchase this access on board…children not allowed
Don’t waist your money on Aurea anymore
ps: Drinking packages now also are a bit changed: If you take the default alcohol package “easy” you get significly downgraded. you are not allowed to drink bottled drinks anymore like juices or sodas. You are not allowed to have coffees or ice scream anymore. Strangly enough if you get the cheaper NON-alcohol package you get it all back…we upgraded on the boat from non alcohol package to easy package and were not allowed to drink coffee or canned juices anymore because we upgraded…if we wanted it back, we would be required to upgrade to the premium packages…also with easy you are not allowed to drink in the speciality restaurants??? wow MSC made being on a vacations very very difficult (all these exceptions and rules)
Thank you! Post is updated with your information
Hi
My husband and I are travelling on MSC Lirica this October from Venice, has anyone been on this ship? if so what was it like, I’m just wondering as it isn’t one of their newer ships, we have booked the Aurea experience, thanks in advance
Olá, vou fazer o cruzeiro da msc grandiosa em janeiro de 2021, gostaria de saber se espumante moscatel está incluído no pacote de bebidas alcoólicas. Vou comprar o Aurea experience.
I am thinking about booking the Aurea package on the MSC Fantasia in August 2020. I noticed that it gives you access to the Solarium which I recently saw on a program about this ship. The program indicated that the solarium area has a bar, whirlpool and pool. Does this package give you access to all these amenities in this area?
Reply
Yes, you’ll get access to that area with the package
I am thinking about booking the Aurea package on the MSC Fantasia in August 2020. I noticed that it give you access to the I recently saw a program on this ship and that it has a bar, whirlpool and pool by the private solarium. Does this package give you access to all these amenities in this area?
We are schedules for a Feb 29th cruise out of Genoa. We were told that you can only book spa services included in the Aurea experience once on board. If you pay for another massage, can you schedule it ahead of your cruise? We would like to schedule massages on our sea day, if possible.
Yep, you can schedule in advance online for paid spa services.
Went on seaview June 2019. There is no more gelato included. No milkshakes either. Only soft serve ice cream at the pool. There is only one bar on seaview where you can get specialty coffees and hot chocolate. (Regular lattes are everywhere). Make reservations for massages the first day. You can only book the free massage the first few days of the cruise (because they bank on you getting another paid massage later in the cruise). The special Aurea deck looks just as nice as the yacht club (could see yacht club from aurea deck), so I don’t think yacht club would be worth paying more unless you really like spending time at the pool.
I am going on a cruise later this year. I want to book the Aurea experience. We are going with another couple who do not want to spend the extra money. Feeling awkward about possibly leaving them in a long line while we skip ahead to get priority boarding. Will them be able to go to the head of the line with us? Also, will they be allowed on the Aurea decks?
No, I don’t believe they will be able to go ahead in the line with you as they won’t have the package benefits. I honestly wouldn’t feel bad. I’d just meet up with them later at a restaurant or bar 🙂
The good thing about it is you will be able to purchase drinks for them!! Cheers!! So when you meet up with them after you get onboard buy them a drink.
Is it easy to upgrade the drinks package once on board the boat? I’m on Aurea experience but want the better drinks packages
There are crew members all over the ship selling the drink packages, so I don’t foresee you having difficulty upgrading the package.
Looking forward to our first cruise on MSC with much anticipation……
You see months ago I signed my wife and I up for a Bella Guaranteed Balcony cruise on the Seaside which was real CHEAP. After booking I see that they have a status match program and being a Diamond with RCCL, I gave it a shot. We got Gold status and a $50 room credit each to boot.
Two months later I get confirmation on cabin assignment, holly crap its a SJ3. SJ3 = Balcony Suite with Whirlpool Bath!! Now anyone that books this cabin type straight up gets the Aurea Package included. JimZin’s review video of his SJ3 that I watched (check it out) after booking but before confirmation of cabin, even says so. Everything points to that is what we will get (My Choice dining, Aurea on most paperwork), but I hope I’m not setting myself up for disappointment.
But wait, we got a Balcony Suite with Whirlpool Bath upgrade for FREE!! And like JimZin, we will spend most of our time in that balcony whirlpool bath……… and maybe many more cruises with MSC.
“Please note: In the event of a complimentary upgrade to this category, the guest will benefit from the stateroom upgrade only, excluding the content of the Experience. Upgrades are stateroom only, and the Experience services will remain the same as category and Experience originally booked.”
That’s awesome about the upgrade! The status match program is great. See the comment provided by another cruisers regarding the experience.
We’re booked on the Bellissima later this year with the Aurea package. I get that the 2 main dining rooms and the buffet are included in the price, but are any other eateries/restaurants included, or are they all ‘speciality dining’ options and therefore extra cost?
I know the Bellissima is only launching this year, but does anyone have guidance from other MSC ships (the sister ship Meraviglia, for instance)?
Thanks
As mentioned, you’ll have the main dining and buffet included. There are usually quick eateries around the pool to grab food that’s included in the fare, but I don’t see this specifically mentioned anywhere. With the Aurea package, you’ll also get free room service and the beverage package.
The chocolate shop, steakhouse, sushi and hibachi will be an additional cost. Even without going to a specialty restaurant, you won’t go hungry.
Has anyone sailed on the Meraviglia that can give more specifics?
Hi I have an aurea balcony booked on the Musicia and it says free room service delivery. When i did a Bella balcony the in room service menu price depended on how many items you ordered instead of each item having its own cost. was there any cost on there menu in the Aurea cabin.
One of the benefits of the Aurea package is free room service. So order just coffee or a full dinner at no additional cost. Though, it’s still a good idea to tip. Enjoy!
Doing the Caribbean cruise from Fort de France on the 29th of Dec 2018 on the MSC Preziosa, I am traveling with my special needs daughter. Just wanted to know how the kids club works? Is there a charge for it? And do they offer babysitting services?
Hi, I’m not 100% on all the programs available for special needs on MCS but I did see they can accommodate all children in the kids clubs. Kids clubs are free for ages 3 and up and potty trained. You’ll need to discuss your daughters needs with the crew upon boarding. There will be hours posted for the kids clubs that vary by age group and are available on sea and port days. Just sign your daughter in and the crew will keep her entertained. They typically ask where you will be in case of emergency for younger guests.
I do not believe they offers additional baby-sitting series on MSC. They do have a mini kids area for younger kids.
From the website: Children with special needs have normal access to all onboard services and facilities. Although the entertainment staff do not offer a childcare service, they are trained to provide a wide range of entertainment aimed specifically at children.
All children, including those with special needs, are assigned to a certain children’s area depending on their age. If necessary, children or young guests with special needs can be placed with a lower age group (with the agreement of their parents), or they can take part in specific activities, together with their parents if required.
Hi, regarding the Aurea package, do you get priority boarding every time the boat docks at a new port and you do a day trip or it is only for the 1st day and last day? Also. what currency do you buy drinks in on the boat? We only have the Bella Experience at the moment, so I’m wondering if the upgrade to Aurea is worth it. We are going on the Seaside in Dec 2018.
Priority boarding is just on embarkation day. However, you really don’t need it at the ports. We only experienced short lines getting back on board. Priority Disembarkation is included as well.
The currency was in euros.
For us, the Aurea package was worth it but you’d need to price things out to see it it’s right for you
Yes! Very helpful, especially the boarding hints. It was a mess with Holland America when joining an Inside Passage cruise in Vancouver. No signs for priority boarding. Just wandered around until someone picked us up (I think security) and gave us some guidance. Thanks
Yes! These cruise lines do this all the time. You think they would have it all figured out and have signs directing passengers. I haven’t sailed with Holland America yet. How did you like them?
Sorry also meant to ask…with Fantastica Balcony Experience can we pick whatever time suits us to eat and have a table for just the 3 of us or do we need to have the Aurea Experience for that? it doesnt seem that clear on MSC website, well not clear to me anyways. On previous cruises with RC we always had my time dining so we could reserve table when we wanted so would want that again with MSC. thanks for any info
For the Fantastica Experience, you’ll pick one of the 2 seating times (early or late). You will most likely eat at a table with just the 3 of you. If there is a time that you don’t want to eat at say 6:30, then you can head to the buffet at anytime. For something similar to RC, you’ll want the Aurea. Even with the Aurea, we found we were reserving a table at around 7 each night anyways just because we didn’t want to wait. With Aurea, you can just walk in but they do have times when it gets busy.
Hi we are just about to book our first MSC cruise on the new ship Bellissima out of barcelona 24th May, we have always gone with Royal Caribbean previously, but this time bringing our 6year old daughter and pricing seems better with kids on MSC…we are trying to decide between Fantastica and Aurea…its tough decision.
If go with Aurea the drinks package thats included doesnt include bottles beers such as heineken or budweiser does it? My husband would only drink the bottled beers so we will prob have to add on the Deluxe drinks package to get that…
I hear the new ship is beautiful! They do have great kids packages and my kids enjoyed their activities. Heineken is the only beer included in the Aurea Experience drink package. It was a big turn off for my husband as he gets sick of always drinking the same beer, but we didn’t want to spend extra $.
Hi, thanks for your very helpful summary 🙂 We’ve just booked to go next year on the MSC Preziosa out of Marseille with Aurea Spa package so I’m really looking forward to it. I thought about booking fantastica class and paying for drinks package (which is worth it as we like to relax and not worry about costs on board and my kids by next year will be 17 and 15….expensive ages!!) It would have been around £100 cheaper to do this but we’ve got a better balcony cabin where my husband wanted to be on the ship and I like the idea of eating when we want……plus mummy gets to CHILL out in the spa! Can’t wait! x
I agree, that that little bit of extra money is worth it. One of the main reasons for us was the cabin location as well. We definitely our massages and getting to relax at the spa. There were far less people in those hot tubs than on deck.
Hello we are about to book MSC Seaside out if Miami Feb 2019, are there no formal nights on MSC? I haven’t seen any mention of them, any info on dress code?
We are looking at Aurea package so thanks for info.
Thanks
Lynne
I need to dig around and find all my old daily newsletters. I’m pretty sure there were formal nights but I’ll confirm in a couple of days.
MSC normally have 2 special evenings. Captain dinner (formal) and white party (dress in white)
I have booked the MSC Sea view for next year on the Aurora package was wondering does priority boarding not at a separate location as not to cause any embarrassment for people who have waited in a long queue
It could be but it just seemed more like a lack of organization to me. I would have thought they would be trying to promote the more exclusive packages, but you never know.
Have a wonderful cruise!
My husband and I are doing our first MCS cruise leaving Rome in Nov 2018, and purchased the Aurora package. We are used to American cruise lines but couldn’t beat the price for an almost two week cruise! It will be our 18th year together. My question is on the Magnifica and MSC is there any animosity towards gay coupkes? We feel very welcome on NCL and RC so wonder what a European line will be like.
Congratulations on 18 years!!
You definitely can’t beat the MSC prices! You will find the European cruise line to be quite different than lines such as RCL and NCL, so just go in with that expectation.
Europeans, in general, are very open and accepting so you shouldn’t experience any animosity. On NCL, I remember almost nightly LGBT meetups but I only recall a few with MSC, but that may have changed since we cruised. But I don’t remember as many singles meetups either.
I’m sure you’ll have a great cruise and feel welcome. Make sure to mention either on your booking or once onboard that it’s your anniversary. You may find a bottle of champagne or something special in your room.
We specifically reviewed the Magnifica if you missed it –> https://www.thetalkingsuitcase.com/category/cruising/msc/
It is then lies what is written on the MSC website about .aurea serves.
All inclusive -it is not at all what they write to us.
Servis is so bad!!!!
I’m am waiting 50 min until I was brought a bottle of min water to my cabine!!!!!
And I need pay for bottle min water!!!!
Nothing in common with all inclussive!!!!
All bullshit!!!!
Do not believe them never and do not buy more cruise at MSC.
Has anyone heard that MSC is doing away with the Aureau and any other package that include beverages? They are now offering a package that is $250 pp. I booked the Aureau Suite for April of 2019 and will change it if that’s the case.
Thank you,
Chris
If you’ve already booked it, then you’ll get whatever it says in your cruise documents. If it says Aurea Experience, they can’t change and charge you more or not include what it said about the package when you booked. I wouldn’t worry about that.
I also didn’t see anything about MSC Aurea Experience going away. I checked all their latest news and just tried a test booking for 2020. However, if you see something else, please send me the link.
I did see 2 changes on the experiences, but neither affect the Aurea Experience.
1. *The 12-drink voucher package will be included with the Fantastica Experience for cruises until March 25, 2019.
2. The Wellness Experience will be available until Winter 2019
I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic cruise! If you think about it, come back and let us know more once you sail.
Nous avons réservé une croisière sur le Bellissima en mai 2019 en formule aurea.
C’est pour nos 30 ans de mariage, y a t’il quelque chose de prévu ?
Avec la formule Aurea pouvons nous aller manger dans d’autres restaurant ( y a t’il un supplément pour en exemple au sushi bar ?
Et avons nous un avantage pour les excursions ?
Merci d’avance pour votre réponse.
L’endroit idéal pour célébrer 30 ans de mariage! Avec le formule Aurea, vous pouvez manger dans les 2 restaurants principaux, le buffet et les restaurants gratuits de la piscine. Les restaurants spécialisés steak et sushi sont en supplément.
Il n’y a aucun avantage pour les excursions. Sauf si vous avez une promotion supplémentaire.
bonnes vacances!
__________________________
The perfect place to celebrate 30 years of marriage! With the
Aurea experience, you can eat at the 2 Main Restaurants, Buffet, and pool side complimentary restaurants. The specialty steak and sushi restaurants are an extra fee.
There is no advantage for excursions. Unless you have an extra promotion.
have a good vacation!
We have the Aureau package booked in a few weeks for a May 23, 2018 cruise out of Barcelona in the Mediterranean …( 9 in total going, to include 2 kids and 1 teen). Curious about what exactly is included in that aureau drink package….for example, is water left in the room daily? is it included? what about drinks from the mini bar in the room, sodas etc? and how about specialty coffees from the coffee shop? room service drinks etc? Any help in understanding the basics of it is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks
Includes specialty coffee, wine, beer, cocktails, soft drinks, and ice cream/gelato 24-hours a day (Valid for non-premium alcohol).
Water was also included but I don’t recall water bottles being left in the room. You can get them from the restaurant and bar. Mini bar isn’t included nor is drinks ordered from room service. You’ll need to get beverages from the restaurant and bar. Yes, specialty coffee was included.
Have a great cruise!
We have booked 8th June on the musica we have also booked the aurea experience can you confirm that premium drinks are included, thankyou
The drink package with the Aurea Experience is non-premium alcohol. You may be able to pay to upgrade the package is premium alcohol is important to you.
Thats true, not premium alcohol, but the choices were very wide. If it has not changed, standards like Seagrams 7, Canadian Club and so on were included in the non-premium range. Also absolut vodka, gordons gin and so on. If you wanted a high quality and normally very expensive Scotch Whiskey, then this usually had to be paid for.
However, even though it is usually frowned upon, I have learnt over the years that a small “tip” in the right direction always helped, even though MSC hierarchy frown upon it.
On MSC last year, by shaking hands and including a bit of “paper” with some bar staff, the service and wait times no longer existed. I would go up to the adults only bar and be waited on almost immediately. Yes, its a sort of bribery and one that I admit to carrying out.
Thanks for sharing the non-premium choices. We don’t drink liquor, so I couldn’t use our personal experiences to know what brands were included.
You made me laugh about slipping them “paper”. Extra tips can go a long way in quality of service and experiences 🙂
Myself & GF took the MSC Divina out of Miami last year in May. It was our 1st time on MSC and was also a little bit unsure after reading various reviews. We are seasoned cruisers, after being on Carnival, RCCL, Norwegian to name but a few. We had the Aurea experience and were not in the least disappointed. Everything was equal to or better than we anticipated.
Priority boarding extremely quick, I felt a little sorry for the 1000 + people waiting in long queues in that heat. Balcony staterrom was exactly the one we had reserved. Dining and service was 99% of the time spot on. Only 1 barmen was a little arrogant, but when he found out I could also speak a little of his language his attitude completed a full “U” turn and we ended up being served by him most evenings and having a good laugh together.
I do not wish to criticise how some passengers react but maybe they should really investigate more prior to booking some of the “lower” experiences. If “they” reserve an inside cabin with no drinks packages and then complain about absolutely everything, prices, buffet queues and so forth. Its mostly these persons that give the “UNWARRANTED” reviews.
As for this year, we have decided to try MSC Musica out of Venice with the Aurea experience. Its only a 560 mile (900km) drive to Venice, a few days sighseeing there and then 6 different ports of call in Italy, Montenegro and Greece.
Happy Sailing, Nick & Marie
Yes, we felt sorry for the people waiting in the long queue as well! I have been spoiled recently with priority boarding and not sure I can go back! I agree that you get what you pay for. While the experience may not be for everyone, I think it was worth the cost.
Your cruise on the Musica out of Venice sounds great! We’ve sailed out of Venice with NCL and it was a great port. If you think about it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the next cruise.
Sure can do We will write a small “story” when we get back.
Nick & Marie
Awesome! I can’t wait to learn more about your cruise!
Just for info our cruise starts on 24th June. Like I wrote, we are driving the relatively short distance and going to take in the history of Venice for a few days prior to boarding. Then its cruise for a week and on the way back to Czech we will meet friends in Austria and its bike riding time for a further 3 days.
Nick & Marie
We just booked the MSC Magnifica 2020 World cruise 😉 An inside cabin that included the Fantastica” package….how did you like the Magnifica? The world cruise itinerary was amazing & the price was very reasonable. I’ve read numerous reviews, mixed bag…some people Love MSC & others said it was their worst cruise ever. Any insight would be appreciated. I love that you take your children on trips….awesome educational opportunities.
Blessings, Cher
How amazing! I’m so jealous! That world cruise looks fabulous!
Yes, we liked the Magnifica. It is a bit dated, but was very clean and well maintained. The staff were mostly very friendly.
Admittedly, MSC isn’t my favorite cruise line, but I wouldn’t hesitate to cruise with them again. It’s a very European cruise line, so there are a lot of differences than what we’re used to on other lines. I think that is why people either love it or hate it. If you start your cruise expecting it to be like sailing to the Caribbean with RC, then you’ll be disappointed.
We also found more Europeans (Lot of Spanish and Italians, some French and German) To me this added to the appeal but it did mean that queueing just wasn’t gonna happen. Just go with the flow and you’ll have an amazing cruise!
Did you see your article on the Magnifica? The first part is all about the ship with a bunch of photos –> https://www.thetalkingsuitcase.com/msc-magnifica-cruise-ship/
If you have time, I’d love for you to come back and share your experience.
Hi! We’re booked for the MSC Divina departing 2/15 from Miami and we have the Aurea experience.
First, I thank those who have commented on their experiences, both good and bad. I’m assuming that we can just go up to the front of the boarding line if it’s still not clearly indicated where ‘priority
boarding’ is. Also, it sounds like we will receive a ‘Cruise Card’ from the receptionist and will make sure it clearly states we have the Aurea experience. One question remaining is with regard to the
‘My Choice’ meal package. We’re on the Holistic Health/Vegan cruise which appears to only offer the Black Crab and Villa Rossa dining rooms. Does ‘My Choice’ mean that other dining areas are also available to us? Thanks for anyone who might respond to our queries.
Yes, I would just walk up to the front of the line and ask where to find the priority boarding.
Our cruise card was in our stateroom, so we had to have extra paperwork showing that we had the package. Since you’re on a specialty cruise, maybe it’s different.
Yes, the other dining rooms are available. All the dining areas and buffet are included in your cruise price with the exception of the specialty restaurant. I assume everywhere will have Vegan cruise.
If we bought the Aurea experience cabin (2 adults + 2 children) do we all get the drinks package? I read somewhere it is only for the first 2 guests… does this mean the kids don’t get their ice cream?! Help!
When we sailed the entire family (also 2 adults and 2 kids) had the drink package. The kids package, of course, was the one without the alcohol. They enjoyed lots of ice cream on the ship!
The kids also didn’t get access to the spa or get the spa treatment – only adults.
I’m not seeing where they changed the policy to include only the first 2 guests – we sailed earlier this year.
We just got back from MSC Divina cruise. Although we booked and paid for the Aurea experience through our travel concierge service, our e-tickets apparently didn’t reflect this. Our first warning that something was amiss was when we did not get priority boarding. On arrival to our room, there was no diffuser, slippers or bathrobe. We then went to get a drink and we’re refused…the bartender said that our cruise card did not have the Aurea experience package on it. We then had a very stressful 3 hours trying to sort out the mistake with reception and to contact our travel service to confirm that we had paid for Aurea experience before we lost cell phone service. We finally thought we had it sorted out and the receptionist provided us with new cruise cards…which worked for drinks and booking our massages…but did not work for access to the private sun deck…again we had to wait at reception for over half an hour while a different receptionist searched the computer for the e-mail confirmation that we were Aurea experience guests, but could not give us new cruise cards…instead she told us to inform the staff at the private sun deck to look in their computer for the e-mail too. On arrival at the sun deck the staff there told us that they did not have access to a computer, or even a phone to call reception and confirm that we were allowed up there. Eventually they let us in, but we were too scared to order any drinks in case we had to explain ourselves all over again when they saw our faulty cruise card, and left after about an hour as we were getting so dehydrated. By that time we were so fed up of having to explain ourselves to various people that we never did get to use either the shower tanning or steam rooms and never did get any of the other benefits that we had paid for, including priority disembarkation. Now, although this was originally entirely the fault of our travel concierge, MSC should have replaced our cruise cards with new ones that clearly stated ‘Aurea Experience’ and rectified the provisions in our room as soon as the mistake became known.
I’m so sorry to learn you had just a bad experiences. Yes, you’re travel concierge made the error but MSC should have worked harder to correct the mistake. With the added expense, I would not have wanted to deal with all the headaches and not get what I paid for either.
Is your travel concierge able to help with some type of compensation since it was their error?
We were on the MSC Divina for our 40th anniversary… wonderful experience. I love, love, love the med by MSC diffuser and would like to purchase it. It has lasted 3 months and everyone that comes into our home remarks how wonderful it smells. How can I purchase the diffuser?
I does smell good! I found the website NorwegianAtHome.com but I’m not seeing the diffuser for sale. I’d try giving them a call.
Hi my husband and I have on a couple of cruise with MSC booked the aurea experience and have been happy with it for all of the reasons you commented on, we have booked in may 2016 to go on another cruise in October 2017 only to be told that the aurea experience was not available so we booked to have the wellness experience which at the time nobody at MSC seemed to know anything about it or what it offered.
Since then it appears it’s for the fit and healthy but unfortunately both my husband and I are neither as we are over the age of 70 and not in good health so we tried to change it but we would have lost our deposit.
So we have paid for something we won’t be able to enjoy.
I will keep you posted on how we get on.
Oh no! Sorry you are stuck with the Wellness Experience. I would have thought MSC would have worked to try to correct the issue.
It looks like you get the preferred rooms and sundeck access if its available on your ship but won’t get the other benefits.
I would suggest talking with the management from guest services when you board. Maybe they can help you in some way.
Let us know how it goes and I hope you enjoy the cruise despite the experience issue!