The moment we stepped on board MSC Virtuosa, I knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary cruise.
The enormous LED ceiling above the promenade was covered in Union Jacks. There were extra bars set up everywhere, ready for thousands of Brits to make the most of their drinks packages.
And we were definitely planning to make the most of ours.
There were four of us, all women in our early 40s, heading off on a four-night girls’ cruise from Southampton to Cork in Ireland.
We’d paid just £420 per person, including our accommodation, food, gratuities and premium alcoholic drinks. That’s only £105 per night for pretty much everything.
We were looking forward to cocktails, dancing, lots of pizza and four days of doing whatever we wanted without worrying about work or family responsibilities.
But what actually happened surprised me.
There were some hilarious moments, including a waitress asking me how many months pregnant I was when I ordered a Coke Zero. But there was also something I really wasn’t expecting from a so-called booze cruise.
Everyone was remarkably well-behaved.
And now, with MSC dramatically reducing the number of short cruises from Southampton, I’m wondering whether we’ve just enjoyed one of the last opportunities to have this kind of holiday at such a bargain price.
Why We Booked a Four-Night ‘Booze Cruise’
I love cruising. I’ve been on more than 60 cruises, from budget ships to some of the most luxurious ships in the world.
But a girls’ cruise is something completely different from a family holiday or a luxury cruise. The four of us have been friends for years. We’ve all got busy lives, jobs and families, and getting away together is something we really look forward to.
Four nights is just about perfect. It’s long enough to properly relax and have fun, but not so long that we need to take loads of time off work or organise a week of childcare.
We also like a bargain.
When I spotted this cruise on MSC Virtuosa, the price seemed almost too good to be true.
The premium drinks package cost just £29 per person per night more than booking without drinks. Considering how much we enjoy our cocktails, it was an easy decision.
I’ve seen Royal Caribbean drinks packages advertised at around £100 per person per day. So, for roughly the price of four days of drinks on Royal Caribbean, we could get four nights on MSC, including our cruise fare, meals, gratuities and drinks.
Of course, the experiences aren’t identical. And having tried short party cruises with both cruise lines, I definitely have a favourite.
But there’s a huge difference in what you pay.
I’d actually sailed on MSC Virtuosa twice before…
My first experience was in May 2021, on one of the ship’s earliest sailings after lockdown. The ship was only around 20% full, and it felt like a VIP experience.
I went back that August for a week-long family cruise, when the ship was packed with children and we couldn’t visit any ports because of the restrictions. My husband hated that one so much that he vowed never to cruise with MSC again!
I’ve also tried a two-night cruise on sister ship MSC Euribia, which cost us just £99 each.
Suggested read: I Took A £99 Cruise! Cheap MSC Cruise Review
So I knew what to expect. I didn’t think MSC Virtuosa would suddenly become my favourite ship, but I was pretty sure it would be brilliant value for a few days away with friends.
Could We Really Drink 15 Cocktails a Day?
MSC’s Premium Extra drinks package was included in our booking. It covers a fantastic selection of cocktails, spirits, wines, prosecco, beers, soft drinks and other beverages.
However, MSC introduced a new rule for cruises departing from 1 April 2025, limiting the package to 15 alcoholic drinks per person per day.
Previously, the alcoholic drinks packages were unlimited.
A couple of my friends were worried about the new limit. I told them there was absolutely no way we’d manage 15 alcoholic drinks each in a day.
As it turns out, I was wrong.
Some of us did manage to reach the limit. Although there’s an important distinction here. Officially, MSC allows 15 alcoholic drinks per guest, but the way drinks were recorded on board didn’t always reflect exactly who was drinking what.
For example, we’d sometimes order a round of four cocktails and the staff would put the whole order on one person’s cruise card.
So one person might reach their recorded limit even though the drinks had been shared around the group.
There were also times when the bar staff didn’t appear to record our room numbers at all.
Despite reaching the limit on some cards, we never actually had to pay extra for another drink.
I wouldn’t rely on that happening on every MSC cruise, though. Officially, once you’ve had your 15 alcoholic drinks, any additional ones need to be paid for. And I certainly wouldn’t recommend trying to drink 15 cocktails just to get your money’s worth.
The good news is that you don’t need to drink anywhere near that amount for MSC’s package to represent excellent value.
My favourite drink was a margarita. MSC makes lovely big margaritas, with plenty of salt around the rim. We also loved the Champagne Bar, particularly the Bellinis they serves there, and we enjoyed trying different cocktails in different bars.
One thing MSC does really well is the variety. The cocktail menus aren’t all identical, so there’s always something new to try.
The Bars Were Packed, But Getting Served Was Surprisingly Easy
One of my biggest complaints about previous MSC cruises has been the bar service. I’ve had experiences where staff refuse to serve you at the bar and tell you to sit down. Then you wait 45 minutes for someone to take your order.
Not ideal when you’ve paid for a drinks package.
But this time was completely different. MSC had clearly prepared for a ship full of thirsty passengers.
There were temporary pop-up bars all over the ship, helping to reduce queues. They had borttles of spirits on tables and cool boxes full of ice.
At one of the bars near the aft pool, there was even a member of staff whose job appeared to be simply taking people’s orders and writing them down on a piece of paper.
It wasn’t particularly high-tech, but it worked! We rarely had to wait very long for a drink, which made a huge difference to the whole experience.
The bars themselves were often busy, and finding a table could be tricky, but the ship never felt overwhelmingly crowded.
We rarely waited long for a lift, always managed to find somewhere to sit in the buffet, and had no trouble getting into the theatre shows, even when we hadn’t booked in advance.
For a ship carrying thousands of passengers, I thought it worked remarkably well.
Was Everyone Drunk?
This was probably the biggest surprise of the whole cruise.
When you hear the phrase ‘booze cruise’, you might imagine rowdy stag parties, people stumbling around the ship and arguments breaking out after too many drinks. We didn’t see any of that.
There were a few stag and hen parties, including one group of men all wearing matching pineapple shirts. But they were completely harmless and just seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Most passengers appeared to be couples or groups of friends. There were lots of women in their 40s, 50s and 60s, just like us, having a great time together.
There were very few children on board, presumably because we were sailing during school term time.
And the atmosphere was incredibly friendly. Pretty much everybody seemed to be enjoying their drinks package, but nobody was causing any trouble.
We didn’t witness any fights, arguments or particularly drunken behaviour. It really wasn’t anything like the chaotic party holiday that some people might imagine. It was just lots of adults having fun.
There were themed evenings, including a White Night where almost everybody seemed to get involved. There was also a formal night, and plenty of people made an effort to dress up.
One evening, we decided to dress in an Irish theme, complete with green outfits and little green hats. The general atmosphere was fun and relaxed, and people seemed happy to chat and have a laugh with each other. For me, this is exactly what a short cruise with friends should be like.
The Staff Were Hilarious – Although One Comment Left Me Speechless
We had some really funny interactions with the crew.
At one point, we asked some members of the bar staff to take our photo. Instead, they turned the camera around and took a selfie of themselves!
We also saw a group of four crew members messing around near one of the bars. One was riding on a drinks trolley while another was clanging metal trays together. It was completely ridiculous, and we found it hilarious.
The staff seemed to be enjoying themselves, which added to the fun atmosphere. However, there were also a couple of strange interactions.
I’ve discovered that the best way for me to avoid a hangover is to alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water. It’s sometimes called the ‘zebra method’, and it works brilliantly for me.
However, some of the crew members seemed very surprised, and possibly even offended, whenever I ordered water instead of alcohol. I’d get comments along the lines of, “Oh, you’re having water? What are you drinking that for?”
But the strangest moment came when I ordered a Coke Zero…
The waitress looked at me and asked how many months pregnant I was.
I told her I wasn’t pregnant.
I’d eaten plenty of pizza and was wearing a floaty dress, but apparently the fact that I’d ordered a soft drink was enough to make her assume I was expecting a baby!
Still, the vast majority of our interactions with the crew were lovely, and we had plenty of laughs along the way.
Why Royal Caribbean Does Party Cruises Better
The previous year, we’d done a short Royal Caribbean cruise together, so it was interesting to compare the two experiences. And I have to say, Royal Caribbean was better for a proper party atmosphere.
One of the biggest differences was the nightclub. On MSC Virtuosa, the nightclub didn’t open until midnight. By then, I was often wanting to head to the midnight buffet and then go to bed!
There was dancing in the promenade in the evenings, with different music and themed entertainment, but if you wanted a proper nightclub experience, you had to stay up pretty late.
On our Royal Caribbean cruise, the dancefloor filled much earlier, which suited us better.
The hot tubs were another disappointment. On our Royal Caribbean cruise, we could enjoy the hot tubs late into the night. On MSC Virtuosa, they closed at around 8pm.
For a party cruise, that’s a shame. There’s something really nice about relaxing in a hot tub with your friends in the evening.
MSC Cruises also don’t let you have drinks in the hot tubs, whereas Royal Caribbean crew members will come over and bring drinks to you while you float!
Suggested read: Cruise Passengers Slammed for Storing Cruise Cards in Bras – Am I Being Called Out?
Royal Caribbean’s bar service also felt much more geared towards groups who wanted to party. We could sit around a table while staff brought rounds of shots, and they’d happily keep the mimosas coming at breakfast.
MSC Cruises didn’t really offer that same experience. You could get plenty of drinks, but the crew weren’t actively encouraging the party in quite the same way.
We still enjoyed the silent disco, karaoke and the evening entertainment in the promenade. There was a Michael Jackson tribute show that was really good.
Unfortunately, the comedian was terrible. He seemed to think that swearing a lot was the same thing as being funny. It wasn’t.
There was also an ABBA party, but I skipped that because I can’t stand ABBA!
During the day, we enjoyed the waterslides, which were surprisingly warm, and spent time in the hot tubs.
Unfortunately, the high ropes course wasn’t open at all during our cruise as it was too windy.
We also didn’t find there was a huge amount to do during the day beyond eating, drinking and relaxing. Of course, that wasn’t exactly a problem for us. Those were the main reasons we’d booked.
But I do think Royal Caribbean offers a better all-round experience for a lively cruise with friends.
The catch is, of course, that it can cost considerably more.
Suggested read: Royal Caribbean vs MSC
Kissing the Blarney Stone With a Hangover Wasn’t Our Best Idea
Our four-night cruise was originally due to spend parts of two days in Cobh, the port for Cork, in Ireland.
But when we boarded, we received a letter explaining that the itinerary had changed because of the weather.
Instead, we’d arrive at around 8am and stay for approximately 24 hours, leaving the following morning. This actually worked really well for us.
We wanted to explore Cork as well as visit Blarney Castle, so having one full day made everything much easier.
Although the itinerary change helped us avoid some of the worst weather, the crossing was still pretty rough. Some of my friends were feeling the effects of both the alcohol and the movement of the ship, which wasn’t a particularly pleasant combination.
Nevertheless, we decided to get off and make the most of Ireland. Our first stop was Blarney Castle.
I’d heard about kissing the famous Blarney Stone, but I hadn’t really looked into what was involved. I assumed it would just be a stone somewhere outside that you could walk up to and kiss.
I was very wrong.
The stone is at the top of a tall medieval castle. First, you have to climb up steep, narrow, winding staircases. Then, when you reach the top, you have to lie on your back, lean backwards over the edge and kiss the stone upside down, while someone holds you.
It’s a very strange experience. And probably not the best activity to attempt when some of your group are feeling a little worse for wear!
We found the whole thing hilarious.
Afterwards, we headed into Cork and spent the afternoon visiting Irish pubs. We’d originally planned to stay out into the evening, but once it got dark, the weather turned horrible. It was cold, windy and raining heavily. So we decided to head back to the ship and enjoy the White Night on board instead.
I was glad we’d gone ashore, though. Cork was a really fun destination for this sort of trip, and I loved that we could combine sightseeing with a good old-fashioned Irish pub crawl.
Four Sausages and Some of the Best Pizza at Sea
One thing I was particularly looking forward to was the food.
MSC has always been one of my favourite cruise lines for pizza. They make their own mozzarella on board, and I honestly think they serve some of the best pizza at sea.
The buffet was fantastic too. There was plenty of choice, and we ate there a lot rather than spending ages having formal meals. We also loved the pizza by the pool.
Unfortunately, the main dining room wasn’t quite as successful. The service was incredibly slow and I wasn’t a big fan of the vegetarian options.
One morning, we waited about half an hour just to get a coffee. And unlike on Royal Caribbean, there weren’t any mimosas being brought around with breakfast.
But the funniest moment came when one of my friends ordered breakfast…
Eventually, her food arrived.
It consisted of four sausages.
Just four sausages.
Nothing else.
It wasn’t anything like what she’d asked for! We found this absolutely hilarious.
She was feeling far too hungover to eat a proper breakfast anyway, so rather than wait for the rest of it, she just left!
Thankfully, our speciality dining experience was much better. We ate at Hola! Tacos & Cantina, MSC’s Mexican restaurant, which cost us just £20 each. The food was absolutely fantastic, and I would happily eat there again.
For the price, I think MSC does food incredibly well, particularly if you stick to the buffet, pizza and some of the speciality restaurants.
The ship does have a robot bartender too, which looks quite impressive. But I never saw anybody actually order a drink from it.
The cocktails were around £14, weren’t included in our drinks package and came in little plastic cups. When there were so many lovely cocktails available elsewhere at no extra charge, I couldn’t really see the appeal.
We Even Managed Some Relaxation
Despite this being a party cruise, we did find time to relax. One day, we visited the thermal suite in the spa, which was lovely.
I’m an MSC Voyagers Club Gold member thanks to the status match programme, so I was entitled to a complimentary hour in the thermal area.
On our visit, I was able to bring one friend with me, and the other two paid just £20 each.
Another nice surprise was our cabin. Normally, when the four of us cruise together, we’ll often share one room to keep costs down. On P&O Cruises, for example, we’ve taken advantage of deals where third and fourth passengers travel for free.
But on MSC, it didn’t cost us any more to have two cabins between the four of us.
We booked guaranteed inside cabins, which meant we couldn’t choose where we’d be located. I expected MSC might put us at opposite ends of the ship. Instead, we were given two cabins right next door to each other. That was brilliant, particularly as we hadn’t paid extra to choose our cabin numbers.
The rooms were also really spacious!
Suggested read: MSC Bella vs Fantastica vs Aurea
One other thing I have to mention is the smell. MSC ships have a distinctive fragrance, which you notice as soon as you step on board. You can even buy the MSC scent to take home.
At first, I quite liked it. But after a few days, I found it a bit overwhelming!
Why MSC’s UK Booze Cruises Are Disappearing
After having such a good time, I was disappointed to discover just how much MSC is changing its Southampton cruise programme.
For years, MSC Virtuosa has offered a mixture of longer cruises and short breaks from the UK.
In 2025 and 2026, there were several two-, three- and four-night departures, providing an affordable way for people to enjoy a quick holiday without flying.
But that’s changing.
For summer 2027, MSC is replacing Virtuosa with MSC Meraviglia. When the new schedule was announced in October 2025, it featured 19 sailings lasting between six and 14 nights.
Then, on 16 October 2026, MSC announced one additional three-night cruise, departing Southampton on 26 May 2027 and visiting Zeebrugge and Cherbourg.
MSC described this as its only short cruise from Southampton in 2027. I’ve priced it up, and it’s more expensive than what we paid, for a shorter cruise with no drinks.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest MSC Cruises offers…
And the outlook for 2028 is even more striking.
MSC’s published summer 2028 Southampton programme contains 21 cruises, all lasting seven nights or longer. Not a single two-, three- or four-night round-trip cruise was included in that summer programme.
That’s quite a change from the selection we’ve had in recent years.
MSC says customers have been asking for longer cruises, which is why it’s moving in that direction. I’m not sure I believe that. Personally, I think the longer sailings might be more profitable.
On a four-night party cruise, people can make very good use of their drinks packages while spending relatively little on extras.
On a longer cruise, passengers might be more inclined to book speciality dining, spa treatments, excursions or spend time in the casino.
That’s just my theory, though. MSC hasn’t said that drinking habits or profitability are behind the change. And short cruises certainly aren’t disappearing everywhere.
MSC continues to offer three- and four-night cruises from ports such as Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida, with similar itineraries still planned for 2028.
So it’s not that MSC has decided mini-cruises are a bad idea. They’re simply becoming much harder to find from Southampton. And I think that’s a real shame.
Would I Recommend an MSC Booze Cruise?
Absolutely. But it depends on what you’re looking for.
If you’re going on holiday with a group of friends, want to have lots of cocktails, eat plenty of food and enjoy a few days away without spending a fortune, I think these cruises are fantastic.
The value for money is difficult to beat. We paid £420 each for four nights, including our Premium Extra drinks package and gratuities.
We didn’t have a big drinks bill waiting for us at the end, and our £20 Mexican meal was worth every penny.
The atmosphere was lively but surprisingly civilised, and we never felt unsafe or uncomfortable.
I would also recommend MSC Virtuosa to families, particularly during the school holidays when there are likely to be more children on board.
There are loads of facilities for children, although personally, I think it’s better suited to children aged three and over. For babies and toddlers, I’d be more inclined to recommend P&O Cruises.
Suggested read: 5 Things You Need to Know Before cruising with a toddler
Couples can have a lovely time too, especially on a sunny itinerary.
And if you want a more peaceful and luxurious experience, MSC Yacht Club offers a completely different atmosphere, with its own private facilities, upgraded dining and more attentive service.
One thing I’ve learned from all my years of cruising is that the cruise line isn’t the only thing that determines what your holiday will be like. The length of the cruise, itinerary and time of year can make just as much difference.
A four-night cruise during term time is going to attract a very different crowd from a seven-night family holiday during the summer holidays.
That’s something I always think people should consider before booking.
So, Was It Better Than Royal Caribbean?
For a proper girls’ party cruise, I still prefer Royal Caribbean. The entertainment, nightlife and late-night facilities were better on the short Royal Caribbean cruise we took.
But MSC offered something Royal Caribbean couldn’t compete with on our particular bookings: the price.
At £420 per person for four nights with premium drinks included, it was an absolute bargain.
Suggested read: Why MSC Cruises Are So Cheap (What’s The Catch?)
I wouldn’t necessarily choose to spend a whole week on MSC Virtuosa again. Having been on the ship three times now, I know there are other ships I prefer for longer holidays.
But for a short cruise with friends? I’d book it again in a heartbeat.
We’ve already booked our next girls’ cruise, which will be seven nights on P&O Cruises’ Iona in February.
We’ve sailed on Iona before and absolutely love it, although we won’t be getting the drinks package because we don’t think it offers particularly good value, and the cocktail selection is much more limited. That’s one area where MSC really wins.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest MSC Cruises offers…
And while I’m looking forward to our next cruise, I’ll definitely miss having so many affordable four-night MSC breaks available from Southampton.
Because sometimes, you don’t want a two-week holiday with sightseeing every day, or a luxurious experience with fine dining and impeccable service.Sometimes you just want four nights away with your best friends, some lovely cocktails and really good pizza.
And if that’s what you’re looking for, an MSC ‘booze cruise’ might be exactly what you need.
Just don’t assume that ‘booze cruise’ means drunken chaos.
On ours, the biggest drama was a plate of four sausages and being mistaken for pregnant because I ordered a Coke Zero!
Would you book a four-night MSC cruise with a drinks package, or would you prefer a longer sailing? Let me know in the comments.
