What Did My FREE MSC Divina Cruise Really Cost? (11 Days Southern Caribbean)
This post is to address the elephant in the room “Can a comped cruise really be considered ‘free’?” I have had some argue with me that these cruises are not free which is such a silly thing to me. They say that even if the cruise fare for two is $0, there are other costs so you can’t consider it free. I disagree because that’s like saying that a hotel room or a flight paid with points or miles isn’t free because there are other costs involved with your trip!
But that doesn’t mean that there are not other costs to consider when you book one of the cruises! One of the reasons why I am so transparent about my trips is to show what my true costs and savings look like so you can make truly informed decisions. And many times it helps to look at the whole picture as in what were my costs for my entire trip with this free cruise vs what I would have paid without it.
So let’s dive in deeper and see what I ended up spending on my MSC Cruises comped cruise and you can let me know if you agree with me calling it free!
Confused and/or wondering how I got comped cruises in the first place? Here’s the overview for how I got my Casino Status Match Jackpot. And here’s the trip report for the cruise (delves into how much I spent and saved for the entire trip) and this is my review of the trip.
Casino Comp Cruise Details
- Cruise Line – Ship: MSC Cruises – Divina / Class: Fantasia
- Stateroom Type: Oceanview (Guaranteed)
- How Comp Cruise Was Obtained: Ocean Resort / Prime Elite Status
- Cruise Itinerary: Southern Caribbean including Dutch Antilles – 10 Nights/11 Days
- Dates: March 2025
- Included in Comped Cruise Offer:
- Cruise fare for two comped (or no single supplement if traveling solo!)
- Port fees and taxes for two comped
What The Cruise Would Have Cost if I Paid Cash
Total that would have been owed for two people was $2,178 and for a solo traveler the cost was $2,078.
What is the Minimum My “Free” Cruise Would Have Cost?
Cruise fare (for two/no solo supplement is charged*) for a MSC Oceanview stateroom was $0 as it was a comped cruise. In addition, MSC comps the tax and port fees on casino comp cruises!
There is a $400 deposit (that follows MSC’s normal schedule for refundability for cruise fares) that became non-refundable onboard credit once the sailing was under way. Note that this has changed for their comp cruises and now must be used in the casino.
MSC has two categories for their cruises: Fantastica (which was sold out for this cruise but is $59 per sailing but allows you to choose your stateroom + change your sailing for free) so I was left with the Bella package which is akin to an airline’s basic economy ticket – not being able to choose my stateroom and only having a guaranteed room.
MSC does impose a staff/daily gratuities charge that was $16/day or $160 for the 10 day cruises.
TOTAL: $160.00
What I Actually Paid for My Comp Cruise
It is a point of contention for many that they feel nickel and dimed by the cruise lines (ie having to pay for soft drinks or WiFi) and it’s these costs added in that people have argued makes the free cruises not really free. There is more about this post but that is a gripe that many may make about MSC with two common complaints: being charged for water when dining in main dining room and also how WiFi packages are tied to one device (versus on other cruise lines, you can switch between devices such as your phone and laptop – it will just log you off the other device). I did pay for WiFi which was $179.90 for the duration of the cruise. I opted for the browse and stream package as I wanted to be able to be able to work on the blog and upload to social media and was not happy by the speed.
TOTAL: Spend $479.90* including additional tips to staff {$100 room attendant tip + $40 in other misc staff tips.}*I was charged for water at dinner plus I also had lattes a few of the mornings but I included those costs under the food and not cruise portion of my trip report – probably another $50
Was I Able To Get Any Additional Savings and Where Did They Come From?
Unfortunately AARP does not offer discounted MSC gift cards nor have I heard of any other sites offering them.
Where I did save money was from my Diamond status (which I received via a status match – no surprise right? and of course, I have all the details on status matching to MSC and the new loyalty system here)
- $59: SPECIALTY DINING: Comp Specialty Restaurant Meal at the Butcher’s cut (Note that this was just the price of the meal but gratuity was added/taken care of per my server when I tried to get a bill to add)
- $40: TREATS IN ROOM: Macarons + Sparkling Wine + Chocolates
- $29: ACTIVITY: 1 hour Thermal Spa (which aboard the Divina isn’t great) + $9 for the Formula One Simulator (7 minute ride)
Can You Upgrade Your Cabin on a Comp Cruise? Anything Else To Know?
Yes, you are able to when you book your cruise with varying costs based on itinerary – I did not inquire about upgrades so unsure what costs would have been at booking. Additionally, you may also receive offers close to your sailing date based on ship occupancy. I didn’t receive any but I did book very close to sail date.
I did have a disappointing/suspiciously weird experience with my Diamond status on this cruise. TLDR version: somehow my loyalty number/Diamond status got removed right before the cruise began (see booking conf as it was listed on that!) + it took several days for it to be added back to my reservation and only after I followed up again with customer service. It seems that prevented my free cabin upgrade?
My MSC Voyager number and status were added to the reservation as you can see on the booking and was reflecting on the app when I checked in plus the day before the cruise.
While I never expect an upgrade, I figured that there was a good chance that it would happen on this cruise due to capacity and availability and my status allows for priority for free cabin upgrade but that didn’t happen. Which fine, ymmv (you mileage may vary in award travel speak meaning that you can’t always predict what will happen) is par for course but my diamond status/loyalty information was REMOVED from my reservation. What made this situation irritating was that I was put in the smallest oceanview room (more on that in the stateroom tour/review coming up) compounded by not being able to get a robe or slippers (this is only something MSC Diamonds or higher can request) and they ran out of slippers by the time things were sorted out! It just seems very sus – ya know?
Final Thoughts
I ended up staying at the W South Beach before the cruise using a Marriott free night award and had to cover the resort fee and taxes and I would still call that a free night so the same logic applies here for my free MSC cruise. Having the cruise fare along with port fees/taxes cover 10 nights of lodging as well as many meals during the trip.
How does this compare to other lines’ comped cruises? Here’s what I have paid for on: (organized as true cost post xx Days Location – Ship)
- Holland America comp cruise 11 Days Iceland/Norway – Nieuw Statendam
- MSC comp cruise 10 Days Jewels of the Baltics – Poesia
- Princess comp cruise 11 Southern Caribbean – Enchanted Princess
- Princess comp cruise 14 Days Search For Northern Lights – Caribbean Princess
- Virgin Voyages comp cruise 5 Days Mexican Rivera – Valient Lady
- Virgin Voyages comp cruise 7 Days Greek Isles Glow – Resilient Lady
What do you think about saying the cruise is free? Have you done any comped cruises yourself?
About Author
Rosemary is a travel hacker, points nerd and female solo traveler who’s explored 70+ countries without a trust fund, sugar daddy, or sponsored content. Every mile, upgrade, and trip is completely self-funded using a mix of points, miles, and cash or earned with elite status. And she shows you the receipts along with a mildly concerning amount of spreadsheets. Through firsthand experience and plenty of trial and error, she teaches everyday travelers the art of travel hacking and how they too can travel for cheaper, better, and more often. While Rosemary doesn’t take herself too seriously, she does take award travel (and searching for the best ice cream) seriously – because seeing the world shouldn’t be reserved for the rich, the retired, or content creators with brand deals.
