MSC Easy Package Drink Menu & Cost (2024)

If you’re looking to book an MSC cruise then you’ll want to think about your drinks package options – should you pay for your drinks individually, or book a package – and if so, which one?

The Easy Drinks Package is one option, but MSC isn’t always super-clear on what you get with it and what’s excluded, and especially on how much it’ll cost you. 

So read on to have all your Easy Package questions answered.

What Is the Easy Drinks Package on MSC?

The Easy Drinks Package is the cheapest drinks package on an MSC cruise that includes alcohol. With this package, you can order any drink priced up to $7 or €7 and it will be free.

There is an Alcohol-Free package which is cheaper, but if you want to enjoy beer, wine, spirits and cocktails without buying drinks individually, this is the cheapest option.

A drinks package isn’t for everyone – it depends on how much you tend to drink each day. You can only buy it for the full duration of your cruise, not for occasional days, so you have to work out whether you’ll drink enough each day to justify the cost.

I have a drinks package calculator that can help:

What is Included in the MSC Easy Drinks Package?

The MSC Easy Drinks Package includes “Selected Drinks” – a range of popular cocktails and mocktails, house wines and spirits, Heineken beer on draught, and a selection of soft and hot drinks.

Here’s the full list of what you can get:

MSC does state that the drinks available will depend on where you’re sailing, and that the brands involved may change over time. So assume it will be Heineken for now, but don’t bank on it.

A really important thing to note is that the Easy Drinks Package can’t be used in speciality restaurants on an MSC ship – it can only be used in the buffet restaurant, the Main Dining Room, and the bars onboard.

In bars that have the generic menu, there’s a section for the ‘Easy Package drinks’ so it’s really easy to see what you can have.

But, not all bars have this menu. In some bars, you’ll just have to remember not to go over the $7 limit if you want your drink to be free of charge.

If you plan on dining in speciality restaurants, you might want to consider upgrading to the Easy Plus or Premium Extra packages, since they are included.

Plus, it’s worth noting that if you’re cruising through the Middle East with MSC, you won’t be able to get an alcoholic drink while the ship is in a Saudi port – only once it returns to international waters. This applies even if you have a drinks package.

How Much Is the MSC Easy Drinks Package?

The cost of the MSC Easy Drinks Package varies depending on which ship you’re sailing on, where you’re travelling to, how long you’re sailing for and whether you book in advance. Expect to pay between £34 and £42.55 per night on cruises from the UK, and between $46 and $56 per night on US cruises.

Cruise lines tend to fall into two camps with drinks packages – those that have a simple, clear pricing structure and those that like to be a bit more secretive, likely so they can charge more on sailings where it’s in demand. MSC is somewhere in the middle – they don’t advertise the prices, but once you’re logged into your cruise booking the price will be fixed.

Here’s a breakdown of the Easy package prices:

Cruise	Price Per Night (Buy Onboard)	Price Per Night (Pre-Book)
North America & Caribbean Up To 6 Nights	$56	$49
North America & Caribbean  7+ Nights	$53	$46
Europe & Middle East Up To 6 Nights	€49	€43
Europe & Middle East 7+ Nights	€45	€39
Cruise From UK Up To 6 Nights	£42.55	£37
Cruise From UK 7+ Nights	£39.10	£34

You save 15% when you book your Easy drinks package before you sail, so if you’re considering it then I’d definitely recommend booking in advance.

It’s also worth noting that these prices include the drinks gratuities that you’d otherwise have to pay – so you don’t need to pay the extra 18% for each drink on US/Caribbean cruises, or the 15% on cruises in Europe and the Middle East. You’re covered within the package.

What Happens if You Order Outside the MSC Easy Drinks Package?

If you choose an MSC Easy Drinks Package and then decide to order a drink that isn’t included, you’ll only pay the difference between the drink and the value covered in the package.

So for cocktails, you get $7 cocktails included. If you order a $10 cocktail you’ll only pay $3 for it.

Some cruise lines would charge you full price for any drinks that aren’t covered by your package, so this is a pretty good deal. However, if you decide you’re more interested in drinks that aren’t covered, you are allowed to upgrade your package either before you sail or while you’re on the ship.

If you upgrade on the ship, you’ll pay the onboard price in full for the rest of the days on the cruise. You might also be turned down if you wait until the latter part of your cruise.

What Are the Alternatives to the MSC Easy Drinks Package?

There are several other options for a drinks package if you’re cruising with MSC Cruises. In total, there are five MSC drinks packages, although one of those is for minors only.

With the adult drinks package, you can also choose from:

• Premium Extra Drinks Package – all drinks up to $16 / €14 / £14
• Easy Plus Drinks Package – all drinks up to $10 / €9 / £10
• Alcohol-Free Package – mocktails, soft and hot drinks

If you’re someone who doesn’t really drink much, beyond the occasional cocktail or beer, then consider getting the Alcohol-Free Package and paying individually for the alcoholic ones.

Whereas if you like to dine in speciality restaurants, or you prefer a wider range of drinks, then upgrading to the Easy Plus or Premium Extra package may be worthwhile.

You should also check as, depending on the cruise fare you’ve bought, you might already have a drinks package included. Also if you’ve booked the Yacht Club Experience then you already get the Premium Extra package included, so there’s no need to buy the Easy one.

You Can Use the MSC Easy Drinks Package On Ocean Cay

The Easy Drinks Package does apply ashore in the private MSC resorts – Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, and Sir Bani Yas in the Emirates. While the island bars likely won’t have the full range of drinks that the ships do, you can still enjoy any that would normally be included in the package.

You MUST Get A Drink Package For Kids

Everyone in your MSC cabin must have a drinks package, including minors aged 3 and over. So if you’re buying the Easy Drinks Package, you’ll have to pay for the Minors Package for your children if they’re aged 17 or under on European itineraries.

I find this very frustrating as my six-year-old only ever drinks water. He’s just not interested in any other drinks, so buying a package for him is a complete waste of money as tap water is free. He won’t even have ice in it or a slice of lemon!

You may want to note that for US and Caribbean itineraries, the age limits are slightly different – the Minors package is only available for guests aged 3 to 12 years old.

Anyone aged 13 to 20 years old can buy the Alcohol-Free Package, since the packages including alcohol are only available to anyone 21+ on those sailings.

Is the MSC Easy Drinks Package Worth It?

Whether or not the MSC Easy Drinks Package is worth it depends entirely on you, and the kind of drinks you enjoy. If you only drink one or two alcoholic drinks per day, then it probably isn’t – you may as well buy drinks individually, either with the Alcohol-Free Package or without it.

If you do like to enjoy beers, wines, spirits and cocktails but you aren’t too fussed about which ones, the package may offer great value – especially since you can still enjoy the occasional drink outside the package and only pay the difference.

But, if you plan on dining in the speciality restaurants, or you like a better quality of spirit or wine, then it might be better value to pay for one of the more premium options instead.

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• MSC Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide
• Eating Vegan on MSC Cruises
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