10 Ways People Waste Money on MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises can be a great bargain compared with other major cruise lines. But what many first-time cruisers don’t realize is that an inexpensive MSC cruise can quickly cost a lot more than expected. 

I’ve taken five MSC cruises, including three from the United States and two in Europe, and I’ve learned that MSC can be a great value, but only when you avoid paying for extras you don’t actually need.

Here are the biggest ways people waste money on MSC Cruises and how to avoid making the same mistakes. 

Buying a Beverage Package Without Doing the Math

One of the biggest ways people waste money on an MSC cruise is buying a beverage package without calculating whether they will actually drink enough to make it worthwhile.

Let’s use the Premium Extra Beverage Package on my seven-night MSC cruise as an example.

At full price, the package costs $490 per adult. That works out to $70 per person, per day.

If your average cocktail or glass of wine costs around $14, you would need to order five of those drinks every day just to reach the $70 daily package cost.

That means five drinks on embarkation day, five drinks on every sea day and five drinks on every port day.

But you need to be realistic, especially if you are on a port-intensive cruise. If you leave the ship early in the morning and spend eight or nine hours sightseeing, you may only have a coffee before leaving and a few drinks after you return.

You’re still paying the full $70 daily package cost, even though you spent most of the day off the ship.

Also, remember that MSC requires adults sharing the same cabin to buy the same beverage package.

At the full price, two adults would pay $980 for a seven-night cruise. It’s only worth it if both adults can drink enough to justify the added cost. 

And if you have kids in your cabin, MSC will require you to buy the non-alcoholic drink package for kids. 

Waiting Until You’re Onboard to Buy the Beverage Package

Even when an MSC beverage package makes financial sense for you, you are wasting money if you buy it onboard the ship.

For example, the full price of the Premium Extra Beverage Package was $490 per adult for my 7-night cruise.

But if I buy the beverage package before boarding, I get an early bird discount of $357.01 per adult.

That means buying the package in advance saves $132.99 per person. For two adults sharing a cabin, the pre-cruise price is $714.02 instead of $980. That’s a total savings of $265.98.

Buying ahead reduces the daily cost from $70 to approximately $51 per person.

At the lower pre-cruise price, you don’t need to drink as much each day to get your money’s worth. With my example of $14 drinks, I only need 4 drinks each day instead of five. 

Waiting Until You’re Onboard to Buy Cruise Extras

Another major way MSC cruisers waste money is by waiting until they’re onboard to buy extras such as shore excursions, Wi-Fi and specialty dining.

MSC often charges less when you book these extras before your cruise. On my MSC cruise to Norway, I reserved a fjord kayaking excursion before boarding and paid $125 per person.

Once I was onboard, I saw the exact same excursion being sold for €130 per person.

Using the current exchange rate, €130 is approximately $149.51. By booking ahead, I saved $24.51 per person.

For my family of four, that added up to a savings of $98.04, almost $100, for the exact same kayaking excursion. That’s about 16% less than the onboard price.

Booking early also guaranteed that we had spots. Many of the best shore excursions have limited capacity and can sell out quickly, especially activities such as kayaking, small-group tours and boat trips.

So if there’s an excursion you know you really want to do, don’t wait until you board. Booking it in advance could save you money and prevent you from missing out completely.

Paying for More Internet Than You Need

Another way MSC cruisers waste money is by purchasing a full-cruise Wi-Fi package when they only need internet occasionally.

Before paying for internet for the entire sailing, think honestly about how often you’ll actually use it.

MSC sells full-cruise internet packages before departure, but on MSC ships I’ve also seen 24-hour Wi-Fi passes available for purchase onboard. That can be a much cheaper option if you only need internet for one day.

You may not need cruise Wi-Fi at all if your phone plan includes international coverage.

For example, some T-Mobile plans include data and texting in many countries. On a port-intensive European cruise, you can simply wait until the ship docks and use regular cellular service while you’re on land.

And if your main reason for buying Wi-Fi is to stay in touch with the family or friends traveling with you, you don’t need to pay for internet.

The MSC for Me app has a chat feature that allows passengers onboard the ship to message one another for free.

It’s especially useful for families and groups who split up during the day and need to coordinate a meeting place.

Assuming Your Onboard Credit Is Refundable

Another way MSC cruisers waste money is by assuming that any unused onboard credit will be returned to them at the end of the cruise.

That may not be true. Some onboard credit is refundable, but most onboard credit is use-it-or-lose-it. If you don’t spend it before the cruise ends, the remaining balance is lost.

Check your onboard account early in the cruise and ask Guest Services which portion of your credit is refundable and which portion must be used before disembarkation.

You should also ask what the credit can be used for. Some onboard credit covers gratuities, excursions, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, drinks, spa services or purchases in the onboard shops. Other credit may have restrictions.

Once you know the rules, decide how you want to use it.

It’s better to apply the credit toward something you already planned to buy rather than waiting until the final night and panic-buying souvenirs you don’t really want.

Not Checking Your MSC Onboard Account

MSC makes it easy to charge purchases to your cruise card. Drinks, specialty restaurants, photos, shopping, spa treatments, shore excursions and other extras can all be added to your account without ever taking out your wallet.

That convenience also makes it easy to lose track of how much you’re spending.

Check your onboard account regularly through the MSC app. You can also ask Guest Services for a printed copy of your statement.

Look for duplicate charges, incorrect drink charges, unexpected service fees or purchases that should have been covered by your beverage, dining or Wi-Fi package.

If you spot an error, report it while you’re still onboard. It is usually much easier to correct a charge when Guest Services can review it before the cruise ends.

Don’t wait until disembarkation morning, when Guest Services may be crowded and you’re trying to leave the ship.

MSC will expect any outstanding balance on your account to be settled before you disembark.

I recommend checking your account every couple of days and reviewing it one final time on the last full day of the cruise. That gives you enough time to dispute any incorrect charges before your final bill is processed.

Not Setting a Spending Limit for Your Kids

Another way families waste money on MSC cruises is by giving their kids charging privileges without setting clear limits.

Your child’s cruise card are connected to your onboard account, which means they are walking around the ship with your credit card.

A few arcade games, specialty drinks, candy and souvenirs may not seem like much individually. But over a seven-night cruise, those charges can add up to hundreds of dollars.

Before the cruise, decide exactly what your children are allowed to buy. Then go to guest services and set up a spending limit to be placed directly on your children’s cruise cards. That way, they won’t overspend.

Even with a limit in place, check your onboard account regularly through the MSC app so you have time to make any corrections if there are errors. 

Not Realizing the Currency Exchange

If you’re taking an MSC cruise in Europe, don’t assume your onboard purchases will be charged in U.S. dollars.

On many European MSC cruises, the onboard currency is euros. This can create several ways to waste money.

First, your credit card may charge a foreign transaction fee every time MSC processes your onboard account. So you need to make sure you use a credit card that doesn’t have foreign transaction fees. 

You should also pay close attention to how your onboard credit is converted.

On one of my MSC European cruises, I had a $100 MSC future cruise credit and a separate $75 onboard credit from my travel agent.

The $100 MSC credit appeared as €100, but the $75 travel agent credit was converted to €64. So instead of receiving €175 in onboard credit, I received a total of €164.

Different types of onboard credit may be converted differently, so don’t assume every dollar will appear as one euro.

As soon as you board, check your onboard account and confirm exactly how much credit you received. That way, you’ll know how much you actually have available and won’t accidentally overspend.

Bidding Too Much for an MSC Cabin Upgrade

Before your cruise, it’s common for MSC to invite passengers to bid for a cabin upgrade. Upgrade bidding can be exciting because it gives you the possibility of moving to a suite, or higher cabin category.

But it can also cause you to spend more than the upgrade is worth. Before placing a bid, check the current price of the cabin you want.

Sometimes, the difference between your existing cabin and the upgraded cabin is not much more than the suggested bid.

In that case, it may be better to call and pay for a confirmed upgrade rather than bid and hope your offer is accepted.

And remember that you don’t get to choose your new cabin’s location. You could be assigned a noisy cabin under the pool deck, or you might end up at the front of the ship, where you may feel more movement in rough seas. 

Not Applying for MSC Status Match Before Your Cruise

Another money-wasting mistake is waiting until you’re onboard to ask about MSC’s status-match program.

MSC allows travelers to match their status from certain cruise lines and hotel loyalty programs to an MSC Voyagers Club tier.

But you need to apply before your cruise. You can’t wait until you’re onboard and ask Guest Services to add the status match to your current sailing.

If your match hasn’t been approved and connected to your reservation before departure, you will miss out on valuable benefits for the entire cruise.

For example, Diamond members receive a complimentary specialty dining experience for two people.

Gold members and higher receive one complimentary hour in the thermal spa area, allowing you to enjoy the spa facilities without paying the regular access fee.

MSC Voyagers Club members also receive discounts in the onboard shops and discounts on future cruises.

Apply well in advance of your sailing, and make sure your MSC Voyagers Club number and correct membership tier are attached to your reservation before you board.

The application only takes a few minutes, but the benefits could save you money throughout your cruise.

Read my article on how to apply for the MSC status match, so be sure to read it before your next MSC cruise.

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