Food, Drinks and Packages

In this chapter I want to show you the importance of food and drinks service and its repercussion on the price. This might seem trivial to you, but a good choice of the shipping company in terms of food and drinks services can save you money you can spend in other things. 

First of all you have to consider again the official currency onboard the ship. Today an American citizen will pay more for his cruise if you choose a european flagged ship (€ currency onboard), and an european citizen will pay less if he travels with an US company ($ currency) due to $ vs € exchange rates. Keep in mind that you'll have to pay the excursions, drinks, spa service... in the currency of the ship.

FOOD: Differences between main restaurants are not relevant. Everyone is good with his specialities, Italian risottos and pastas are superb on MSC and Costa, steaks and all meat are delicious in RCCL... Special mention to Celebrity Cruises kitchen, which is the most awarded in the cruise fleet.

But everything changes a lot if we talk about Buffet:

 

 

• OPENING TIMES. US ships buffet remain open more or less all day. The guest can always eat something according the time of day. In Celebrity Cruises the buffet is open from morning until noon for breakfast, from then until mid-afternoon for lunch, at mid afternoon they leave open the area of ​​pizzas, sandwiches, sushi, ice cream... of course it is open in the evening for dinner (for those who don't want to go to the main restaurant) and then the midnight buffet. On the contrary, in European-flagged ships like MSC, the buffet opens only in main meals, so if you're hungry in the afternoon, or if you arrive late from an excursion, your only alternative is to buy something in the bar or wait until the night (although I'm sure your stomach ends up thanking the break...)

• QUALITY. I think the buffet of American companies (Royal or Celebrity) are of better quality and variety than those of European (MSC). The fact of closing at certain times can create some strange situations where 10 minutes before closing time you can't find a waiter to order a drink.

 

 

• SMALL DETAILS. Finally there are small details if you go with children. Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean have most of the day the ice cream buffet area open and its free of charge. Royal Caribbean's Freedom class for example, is equipped with a self-service of free ice cream at the swimming pool.

GALA DINNER

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS: It's an option for a special dinner. The more modern the ship, the more specialty restaurants it'll have. We can find almost everything: restaurants where you pay a fixed price with a special menu, a typical American burger (Johnny Rockets on Royal), a Mexican (El Sombrero in MSC Fantasia), a Mediterranean grill (Tuscan Grille on Celebrity Solstice) ... The truth is that it might seem absurd to pay more to go to another restaurant when you have the main restaurant included in the price of the cruise, but in some cases it can be the oportunity to try other cuisines such as French (the Celebrity Solstice Murano).

RED VELVET (MSC FANTASIA)

DRINKS: Excepting companies like Happy Cruises or Pulmantur Cruises (all inclusive), carbonated drinks and bottled drinks are not included in the price of the cruise. But still there are differences between the companies. In the US companies, with their  buffets open the whole day, you can drink juices, water, ice tea all the time. In the European ones, when they close the buffet, if you're thirsty, you will not have choice but to go to a bar order something (and pay ...). In addition, the juices in MSC is available only during the morning at breakfast and obviously they do not let you fill containers with liquid in the buffet.

PACKAGES: Beverage packages can be arranged before the cruise, but you can also buy these packages the first day of the cruise. This is also different depending on the company you are travelling wih, because European companies offer service by can in the case of soft drinks, while the US have more profitable packages like Fountain of soda in Royal or Celebrity (they give you a big recipient to take your drink everywhere). It is valid in all ship bars while in European companies like MSC it can only be used in the restaurants or buffet. In the rest of the bars you can not use the beverage packages.
European and US companies also offer all-inclusive packages, but is not worth the money in European companies because you can only use it in the buffet or restaurant

How to choose?

The decision of choosing a cruise is primarily based on the price, discussion item that will take us an entire chapter later. The price depends on the type of cabin you choose on the ship, but you must know that there are are big differences between the companies and ships. Therefore, I recommend first choosing the shipping company and the ship.


SHIPS: As my grandfather said: "Burro grande, ande o no ande..." That means the bigger ship the better. As I said before talking abuot dizziness, it's better to choose a ship over 90,000 GT (70.000 GT minimum) and always the modern ones (see date of entering service), because modern and bigger ones have more facilities, more common spaces, more equipment... But be careful with the concept "modern", because there are many companies that put date of the last renovation of the ship as date of entering service. For example, a ship with 90,000 GT will have common facilities like an indoor solarium, an outdoor pool, theater, lounges, spa, gym, sports facilities ...If we take as a counterpoint Royal Caribbean Freedom class with 160,000 GT, on board passengers will also enjoy a mini golf, climbing wall, children's water park, ice rink, a basketball court, a wave pool for surfing lessons and a shopping avenue inside the ship with many shops and bars.

FREEDOM CLASS ROYAL PROMENADE

SHIPPING COMPANIES: I have my favorite ones, but there are many variables that can make your choice and mine different

• Price. Today you can find an expensive cruise in a low cost company and a cheap one in a leading company. Obviously in summer the price rises and cruises are more expensive. I would say say that there are two kinds of companies in the market, which differ by the product. Some offer high quality modern ships, facilities and destinations (MSC, Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean ...), and others with lower prices and ALL INCLUSIVE (Happy Cruises, Pullmantur, Thompson ...). In the last ones ships are older and with less equipment (which does not mean less quality). For example the Sovereign, flagship of Pullmantur was before the Sovereign of the Seas of Royal Caribbean. Actually there  are still in service two other Sovereign-class ships operated by Royal Caribbean

• Nationality of the company. Ships are registered in places where companies have tax advantages (for example all Celebrity Cruises ships are registered in Malta) but it is an American based company, and that's what I mean. Nobody can deny that onboard an Italian-flagged ship (Costa and MSC) you will find fun and party the Italian way, with their pros and cons. I recently took the MSC Fantasia from Tenerife, which was a port of call of an 11 day itinerary starting and ending in Genoa or Barcelona, ​​so you can say I picked up two half cruises. The journey to Genoa was a continuous party on board because most of the pasangers were Italian citizens. Back from Genoa the ship was different and quieter. The reason was that a great number of French people had embarked on Genoa ...
If you want to be surrounded by spanish people you have to choose Iberocruceros or Pullmantur, if german  choose AIDA Cruises, if you want to travel with americans you have to choose Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises. The choice of the company is very important because unless you end up unhappy with the treatment you receive onboard will continue traveling with them

• Shipping company. If you are travelling with children I recommend Disney Cruises. Others like MSC and Costa have special rates and often go free if they share cabin with you (you only pay the fees), if you want design and a calm enviroment Celebrity Cruises, and if you want a fully equipped ship Royal Caribbean (also has good programs and facilities for children, but children pay in the best case half of the fare...).

Links:

MSC Cruceros

Costa Cruceros
Royal Caribbean

Celebrity Cruises

Pullmantur Cruises

Quail Cruises