What’s Not Included on an MSC Virtuosa Cruise (2024 Guide)

Cruise companies tend to charge extra for the more premium amenities and facilities on board, and MSC are no different. So, if you plan on or are already booked in to embark on a trip with the Virtuosa cruise ship in 2023, you probably want to know what you’ll get within the price and what you will need to pay extra money for when on board.

In this article, we’re going to cover everything that is not already included in your Virtuosa cruise ship experience. We’re also going to break down the different options that you will have, should you decide to pay a little extra to make your cruise experience that much better.

Drinks (Besides the Basics)

If you plan on drinking alcohol or more fancy beverages, those will come at an extra cost. You can either buy drinks on a one-off basis or purchase one of the many MSC drink packages. They are not cheap, but you will be able to have as many drinks as you want while on board without paying a penny more. The drinks packages on board include:

Easy Package:

This is the most basic premium drinks package you can get on board. It includes a selection of classic and international cocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails and mixed drinks, spirits, house wines, draft beer, soft drinks, bottled water, classic hot drinks, and more.

Easy Plus Package:

If you want to widen your choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, then this package is for you. The main difference is that you will get more premium options when it comes to alcohol and cocktails, you can get fresh fruit cocktails and protein shakes, a selection of wines by the glass, as well as a 10% discount on bottles of wine purchased on board.

Premium Extra Package:

If you feel like going all out and getting unlimited access to all of the premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, then this package is for you. On top of all that, you will also get a 25% discount on any wine and champagne bottles that have been purchased online.

Alcohol-Free Package:

If you’re not big into drinking alcoholic beverages, but would still like to enjoy premium beverages, this package is a great option for you. With the package, you can have a variety of non-alcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, sodas, fresh fruit and protein shakes, soft ice cream, and more.

Minors Package:

If you’re travelling with the kids, MSC has also come up with a drinks package for the kids (non-alcoholic of course). This package is very similar to the Alcohol-Free package but it’s mostly catered for children.

With that said, you’re probably wondering what you will be drinking while on board if you don’t want to pay for any of the above packages. Well, the list of drinks is fairly small, and it includes water, tea, coffee, and a selection of juices (apple, orange, pineapple, grapefruit and Ace Juice).

• Cruising with kids? Ultimate Guide to the MSC Virtuosa Kids Clubs.

Specialty Restaurants

While guests can eat at all of the 10 dining venues on the Virtuosa cruise ship, not all of the restaurants are included in your package. What this means is that while the more typical restaurants will be completely free of charge to you and your friends and family, there are a handful of specialty restaurants that you’ll need to pay extra money to dine at. These include the:

• Indochine Restaurant
• Hola! Tacos & Cantina
• Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant & Sushi bar
• Butcher’s Cut
• Marketplace Buffet

Eating at one of these restaurants is definitely not cheap, but it’s well worth it. Prices vary and often start from around £40 per person. Just like with everything else that comes at an extra on board, pre-paying for your premium dining experience on board will be cheaper when done in advance as opposed to while you’re on board.

• Want to know what’s included on the MSC Virtuosa? Everything Included (free of charge) on the MSC Virtuosa.

The Fun Pass

If you and your family and friends want to take advantage of the more premium on board activities when on the Virtuosa, you will need to purchase the MSC Fun Pass. On the Virtuosa specifically, the fun pass will grant you unlimited access to the:

• XD cinema
• Formula racer
• A variety of standard and VR games

The cost of the pass is around £90 per person, but the price can differ depending on when you buy the pass. If you know you’ll use the above-mentioned facilities, it’s worth pre-paying for it as you’ll save an extra 20% from the total price.

• Want to know all the fun things you can do? Fun Things to Do on the MSC Virtuosa (Free and Paid) 

Wi-Fi

As nearly everyone uses the internet these days, one would expect that they would at least get free Wi-Fi included as part of their package. Sadly, that’s not the case with the Virtuosa cruise ship and you’ll need to pay for your Wi-Fi separately.

When it comes to Wi-Fi, you can pick from two different packages, including Browse and Browse and Stream. The Browse package is £9.99 per device per day while the Browse and Stream is £14.99 per device per day. Please note that prices are always subject to change.

While both packages come with unlimited data, the core difference between the two is that with the Browse package, you can’t stream any videos on platforms like Netflix and YouTube or make video calls.

If you don’t want to solely rely on your mobile data, which may or may not work half of the time, you should definitely pay for your Wi-Fi in advance. This is because MSC will actually give you 20% off your total price. And if you want to attack multiple devices to the cruise’s Wi-Fi, you can do so and get further a discount.

The Carousel Productions at Sea

Over the last several years, MSC have stepped up their live on-board entertainment by introducing the Carousel Productions at Sea. This all-new entertainment concept blends breath-taking acrobatics, dance, and live music that helps each person of the audience immerse themselves and become part of the show.

The cost is €9 per person when the tickets have been pre-booked or €15 per person when bought on board (each ticket includes a pre-show cocktail). 

The two shows available on the Virtuosa cruise ship during 2023 include the Ajedrez (inspired by the game of chess) and the Arkymea (a story of a scientist in search of a hidden world).

Laundry Services

Depending on how long your cruise trip is, you may need to wash some clothes at some point unless you plan on bringing just enough clothes to last you the entire trip. Fortunately, the cruise ship does offer laundry services, but they are not free.

For a single charge, which differs from destination to destination, you can get 20 different items washed. All you need to do is leave the items for collection before 9 AM and you will have them returned to your cabin by 5 PM the very same day. You can take advantage of the laundry services even on the last day of your trip.

Spa & Wellness

Indulging in spa & wellness procedures while on board is a sure-fire way of making your holiday more relaxed and enjoyable. Sadly, nearly every spa & wellness facility on board the Virtuosa during 2023 comes at an extra cost.

These include massages and relaxation therapies, the thermal area (including sauna), as well as the beauty and hair salon. Though prices vary from destination to destination, you can book your spa and wellness procedures in advance and save upwards of 40% off, which is a great deal if you know you will want to treat yourself.

Excursions

This one probably won’t come as a surprise, but there are zero included excursions that are part of your cruise package. In other words, if you want to go on an excursion at one of the destinations that you’ll be visiting during your cruise holiday, it will come at an extra cost.

Fortunately, despite the fact that you’ll have to pay more money out of your own pocket, at least you won’t have to organise anything yourself. The entire excursion will be planned out for you. 

The added hidden benefit of taking advantage of these excursions is that MSC will be also responsible for bringing you back to the cruise ship on time before it departs. That way, you won’t be running the risk of being late and missing the scheduled departure time.

Conclusion

Though the list of paid MSC Virtuosa facilities can seem fairly long, the list of activities, food, and drinks that come as part of your standard package is significantly longer. And remember, if you want to take advantage of any of the above while on board, the best thing you can do is pay for them in advance. That way, you can save anywhere between 15% and 40% from the total price.