Updated November 14, 2024

This post covers specifics re my casino comp offer, some tips, status matching and other ways to save with MSC Cruises.  Note: this will be updated as I book, plan (maybe, lol probably cancel) and finish up cruises.  

For information regarding the completed cruise: read this for my full review on the comped cruise and this for the overview of the trip!

Interested in how I got the comp offer in the first place, read this for my casino status match jackpot.

MSC CRUISES CASINO COMP OFFERS

OCEAN CASINO – PRIME Status Offer

URComped Offers

• YMMV comes into play here: my URComped MSC offers have been up to balcony stateroom with most of their itineraries available (excluding China sailings) + have extended out as far as 18 months in the future 
• _{Beautiful Tip:  URComped offers are constantly changing ~ I’ve had really great offers disappear so don’t delay and have this happen to you.} 
• Cruise AND port fees/taxes are comped but you are responsible for daily staff gratuities
• $400 refundable deposit* required at booking + is given back as non-refundable OBC upon embarkation (*non-refundable within 90 days of departure) 
• _{Beautiful Tip:  possible to double dip with URComped for multiple cruises from a line with the following restrictions} 
  • _{Have not sailed with the line within the last 24 months}
  • _{Cannot have a CONFIRMED upcoming trip that was NOT booked thru URComped} 
  • _{So if you want to book an MSC cruise thru URComped as well ~ book that one first}

CASINO OFFERS TIPS (for both Ocean Prime + URCOMPED offers)

• NO single passenger supplement but full $400 deposit is required for the stateroom with both the Bella and Fantastica Experience. 
  _{Beautiful Tip: If you think that someone else might join you, it’s better to use a placeholder for the second party just in case as ships are limited by passenger numbers.  Luckily the agent that booked this itinerary saw this potential issue as I likely would not have been able to add my friend later as the ship was at max capacity!  *You are able to add/change the second passenger up to 2 weeks prior to sailing date}
• Cannot be combined with any other offers (such as Add drinks, wi-fi & save) but you can buy packages (WiFi or drinks) for your sailing 
• Booking is for the Bella experience which gives you a guaranteed room – can upgrade to Fantastica experience to choose your stateroom location/#
• Ability to book a longer cruise with additional costs (*MSC cruises thru URComped have additional fees for peak dates + certain sailings) 
• Stateroom can be upgraded for an additional fee
• CASINO offer DOES NOT specifically give free drinks while gambling in the casino. You may be able to go to the casino host and ask for a sticker for free drinks BUT it’s not guaranteed especially on European sailings (I wasn’t drinking on the Baltic Sea itinerary but those who booked via the Ocean Prime status on the cruise with me did NOT get free drinks)

FANTASTICA EXPERIENCE (upgrade from Bella experience for $29.50/person at booking)

• Ability to choose stateroom/location vs Bella guaranteed room booking 
• One free cruise change (FYI: date/itinerary/ship changes allowed – my change encompassed all of these)
• Free continental breakfast in room w/free delivery
• Free delivery of 24 hour room service*but items are not free

MSC USEFUL INFO

EUROPEAN SENSIBILITIES

• MSC is attracts and caters to a European crowd and announcements are made in English, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish 
• Service is much more leisurely (ie dinners are paced similarly to what you would experience in Europe where meals are meant to be savored and lingered over (2 hours vs a 1.25-1.5 hours American dinner)  and that staff may not anticipate needs in the way we expect people to in the US.
• Similarly, portions were smaller at meal service but you are able to order multiples if desired.
• Beverages including water are not included at dinner in MDR 

WI-FI

• Note that these are PER INDIVIDUAL device – CANNOT switch (locked to specific device) on MSC as opposed to other lines that allow you to switch between laptop/phone, etc 😣
• iPhones are NOT able to use mobile spots per multiple FB groups/reddit (I didn’t verify this) 
• Multiple ships upgraded to Starlink 
• Pricing on MSC POESIA itinerary: Browse package ~1 Device: $90 / 2:$162 / 3:$216 / 4: $25
  Browse & stream package ~ 1 Device: $126 / 2:$243 / 3:$333 / 4: $414

MSC APP

• Was able to check in online thru the app 
• This is still being rolled out by ships but the app had MDR daily dinner  menu for Poesia (MSC is fairly paperless with daily program not dropped in staterooms + QR menus for food/drinks)
• I didn’t try this out but messaging capabilities are on the app to contact other people on the boat without WiFi

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON MSC

DISCOUNTED GIFT CARDS

Unfortunately AARP does not offer discounted MSC gift cards + I didn’t find any other sources for them.

CREDIT CARD OFFERS

I did have an offer for $39 back on MSC Cruises through my Capital One venture card and had a friend that has seen one on his account for $80 back. The friend I traveled with put our WiFi charges on her card so I wasn’t able to see if the offer would work. FYI I have found that their offers take a long time to be credited.

MSC STATUS MATCHING

Did you know that MSC offers status matching to its loyalty program? This is pretty rare in the cruise industry so take advantage if you can.

THE DEETS/HELPFUL HINTS

• https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/status-match
• The status match is once per LIFETIME so make sure that you put the best status out there
• MSC will consider status from cruise line competitors and also from hotel chains BUT not US airlines
• I have yet to locate a list of what loyalty programs match exactly to MSC and the FAQs state that they match as closely as possible to your current level of benes ~ anyone have data points for what worked for you?
• Unlike other cruise lines with lifetime status, if you don’t sail with MSC for 5 years (recently changed October 2024 from 3 years!), you will lose your status
• While the benefits do not compare to other line’s top tiers (since it’s so easy to get), it’s a free + easy way to upgrade your travels which you know I’m a fan of!
  

MY MATCH EXPERIENCE

Filled out form + uploaded loyalty card showing status via the status match link on 4/25/23 at 4:53 and received a confirmation email from a MSC rep on 4/25/24 at 8:54 

I matched to MSC Diamond which is their highest tier using my Hilton Honors Diamond status (which is a bene from my Amex Hilton Aspire card!)

DIAMOND STATUS PERKS + MY EXPERIENCE ONBOARD 

• The only benefit that wasn’t honored was the 10% discount for WiFi 
• I dropped the ball on the priority embarkment ~ I guess I could have used the priority line once in the cruise terminal (see my MSC Poesia review)
• I never had to inquire about the perks (but ymmv as I was seeing in numerous groups, this isn’t uniform)
  • Thermal Spa Hour + Specialty dining showed up in my account onboard and it was easy to book them and were correctly discounted (free!)
  • The Spumante, macarons, and chocolate arrived on day 3 of the cruise. I had heard that MSC used to give out chocolate ships so it was a slight disappointment to get chocolate bars. But the macs were tasty as was the Spumante which we took to dinner to share with our dinner table mates on our last night. No corkage fee and our waiters were gracious in offering the table more complimentary sparkling wine after that bottle was finished. 
• Truthfully the thermal spa + specialty dining were not great but good to have found out with them being gratis ~ on other ships, these may have proven to be of higher value 
• The cruise I was on was completely sold out so no opportunity for an upgrade *which would have been a nice bonus but I only cared about the itinerary and date not the ship or cabin

My MSC Comp Cruises

CRUISE(S) BOOKED

• 5/13-5/14 MSC POESIA 10 Day Baltic Sea (Oceanview) – Ocean Prime Offer – COMPLETED
• 10 Day Mediterranean (Balcony) – URComped Offer (Cash value: $2,898 – pricing for two at time of booking including port fees and taxes)* – CHANGED/CANCELED

CRUISE(S) COMPLETED

• 5/13-5/14 MSC POESIA 10 Day Baltic Sea (Oceanview) – Ocean Prime Offer (Cash value: $3,355.92 – pricing for two at time of booking including port fees and taxes)
  • Overview of the cruise + trip including costs, flights, hotel, itinerary costs
  • MSC Poesia cruise review

CRUISE(S) CANCELLED

• 10 Day Mediterranean (Balcony) – URComped Offer (Cash value: $2,898 – pricing for two at time of booking including port fees and taxes) – CHANGED (*once I secured Virgin Voyage offers, conflict w/timing so changed to 10 Day Caribbean (Balcony) – URComped Offer – CANCELED due to conflict with another vacation

CRUISES IN GENERAL

• Best sources for up to date information are in the Facebook groups for the cruise lines, the ship itself, and your specific sailing (note that these are the “fans” not the official company groups). I have found loads of info about the ports, excursions, tricks, hidden gems, etc in these groups that I wouldn’t have located otherwise (or it would have taken so much longer to track down). Also  learned to take complaints and issues with a grain of salt….unless there were a lot of people in agreement, then it was something to keep in the back of my mind.
• Something that I feel is important to highlight is that I was not a cruiser prior to starting the Casino Status Merry Go Round (CSMGR).  My first and only cruise before this was in July 2023 as a large family outing to celebrate my parents’ anniversary.  So there isn’t much to compare to from prior cruise experience and honestly still trying to figure out how I feel about cruising.  It’s not how I would prefer to see the world but lol it’s hard to beat free for pricing PLUS it’s probably the best way for me to travel with my knee situation still evolving. But get super into this stuff and hope that this info will help you out with your MSC comped cruises

Anything that you wish I would have covered here? 

And those who have also done an MSC comp cruise, did I miss anything?