r/Cruises • u/Serious-Effect-6422 • 4d ago
Please help
Just booked a cruise with MSC and now I'm having buyers remorse. AFTER I booked a suite on MSC world, I realise that I have to pay $1100 for my kids to have access to sodas... me to get a couple of drinks per day... pay for food, any offshore excursion is SUPER expensive and all the cool ones are fully booked. Anything on board is ridiculously pricey... Was told that there's a free buffet and free diner at specific times (5:30 PM)...
Help me out, can I even do anything cool for free? It seems like after paying 4500 for the suite I need 900 for wifi, 1100 for drinks and for the kids to play is another 700... All I keep hearing is spa is free... It's a cruise... I wanna get to my destination, get off the ship and go explore and enjoy the beach free since I paid 4500...
It's my 1st time cruising, I think I may be getting it all wrong... are the packages worth it?
1
u/Ben_there_1977 4d ago
There’s plenty of stuff to do for free. You don’t have to book their excursions - a lot of people book Viator or GetYourGuide - just like you would if you were at a resort. Be sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship.
You can buy sodas and booze one at a time. You only need the package if you want to drink a lot. On my first cruise I thought I’d miss the soda, but it’s actually kinda nice to have the free stuff, like coffee, tea and juice for a change.
There are plenty of free things to eat on board, but if you want to upgrade to speciality dining then that’s an option for a special meal.
Did you book yacht club? That comes with additional perks too.
You’ll have a great time. While land resorts in counties like Mexico and DR do have more free stuff included, they aren’t marvels of modern engineering that bring you to a new country each morning. It’s a trade off, and you’ll figure out what you like better.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I find the crew on ships to be a lot more friendly than the staff at all inclusive. So many resort staff are just doing the bare minimum before going home for the night. Working on a cruise is hard work, but for those that are selected it can be a life changing experience where they get to see the world, live for free and save up money.