MSC Aurea Experience - What's Included & Is It Worth the Cost? (2024)

UPDATE – August 2022 from cruiser Sebastien

Current info on the Aurea experience can be found HERE.

MSC Aurea has been majorly changed, it has been downgraded immensely.
No more drink package, no more free massage, and the priority boarding has lost it’s value since the new boarding procedures became active (everybody has a specific time to be allowed to board the ship – you cannot come early and Aurea members are not prioritised in this system)
I booked in June Aurea and our boarding time was just 1 hour before departure 17h…we learned on the ship, new people who just had inside Bella cabins and who boarded at 11am … (6 hours before us)

On board they told us we didn’t get a free massage , and to get the discount of 40% we had to book a massage BEFORE entering the ship at listing prices… (who are actually 400% times more expensive then a massage in a beautysalon)
On top of that , when you are on the ship, it is not uncommon to find 30 or 40% discounts on spa massages every 2 or 3 days in the next day activities paper (applicable for all passengers, not only for aurea)
As for the better cabins it also doesn’t matter anymore because since june you can book those better cabins separately , it’ called premium cabins. If you choose deluxe cabins you risk having a lifesavingsboat in front of your cabin or a side panel…so don’t choose deluxe cabins, not even as aurea…so Deluxe cabins are the cheapest worst placed cabins (why did they call it deluxe???)
Pillow menu also doesn’t exist anymore, there are only two pillows to choose from, and actually anybody can request them (not only for Aurea)

To recapulate:

Aurea does not guarantee priority boarding anymore, it does not include drinking packages anymore , no more free massage, no insurance of having a obstruction free cabin (lifesavingsboat or windpanels)

The only thing left in aurea is:
1) My choice dinner (but actually you can request that on the boat even if you are not aurea and you don’t want to sit with other people)
2) access to the solarium deck (but you can also purchase day passes…and remember it is adults only, dont purchase aurea if you have -18y children)
3) access to the thermal spa (but with covid restrictions most is still closed until 2023) and you can still purchase this access on board…children not allowed

Don’t waist your money on Aurea anymore

ps: Drinking packages now also are a bit changed: If you take the default alcohol package “easy” you get significly downgraded. you are not allowed to drink bottled drinks anymore like juices or sodas. You are not allowed to have coffees or ice scream anymore. Strangly enough if you get the cheaper NON-alcohol package you get it all back…we upgraded on the boat from non alcohol package to easy package and were not allowed to drink coffee or canned juices anymore because we upgraded…if we wanted it back, we would be required to upgrade to the premium packages…also with easy you are not allowed to drink in the speciality restaurants??? wow MSC made being on a vacations very very difficult (all these exceptions and rules)

Booking with MSC cruises was different than booking with other cruise lines. Guests customize their cruise experience by selecting fromseveral experiences. The experience based pricing structure allows guests topersonalize their cruise based on their unique needs and wants. We purchased the MSC Aurea Experience duringour recent sailing on the MSC Magnifica. Since we weren’t entirely sure what to expect with the experience, we’ve created thisarticleto help you understand what’s included and to help you determine if it’s worth the cost.

As I mentioned in myMSC Cruise Travel Secrets article, each experience provides different benefits and also dictates which staterooms are available for booking.

• The “Bella” Experience is perfect for budget savvy travelers.
• The “Fantastica” Experience offers more ideally located staterooms, free room service, and the Fantastica Drink Package.
• The “Aurea” Experience offers premium balcony stateroom or suite, free UNLIMITED drinks & more. Read more on the Aurea experience coming soon.
• The MSC Yacht Club offers all-inclusive amenities and is the top tier experience for cruisers.
• The “Wellness” Experience is a new service dedicated to health and fitness.

MSC Aurea Experience

Preference of stateroomswas one of the greatestconcerns of the package for my family. Guests will have the opportunity to choose amongst the best staterooms available.

Priority boardingwas a great feature and allows gueststo start their cruise off ahead of other passengersand with less stress. TheMSC Aurea Experience enablescruisers togo to the front ofthe lineand board before other waiting passengers. We arrived around 12:30 pm for our cruise sailing out of Genoa, Italy. The people that came in at the same time as us were given a boarding card with #19. When we jumped the line and were going through security, those with #15 cards were just being called.

However, it was difficult to know where to go with our Priority Boarding card. There wasn’t a separate line for priority. There was a sign but only one person was working in the area & it wasn’t clear where we were supposed to go. Do we wait in the line to pick up paperwork or walk to the front? We waited but were then ushered into a roped offline with only one other couple in front of us. We avoided the line with 30+ people waiting! We were then next to have our boarding documents and passports verified.

By the timeour documents were checked, a long line had already formed at security. Again, we weren’t really sure what to do. Derrick walked to the front and realized all the people were standing around waiting for their card number to be displayed. We walked up with our Priority Boarding card and were allowed immediate access through security and onto the ship. The entire process from arrival to boarding was approximately 30 minutes.

Although the boarding process was easy for us, I could see where it would be unorganized and chaotic as more cruisers arrived at the port.

Priority Disembarkation was also included although it wasn’t mentioned in the cruise documents. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of being the first one off the ship, it was nice not to have to wait around. MSC Voyagers Black Card Members and Aurea Experience guestswere the first to disembark. However, I preferred the benefit of NCL’s priority disembarkation where we could show up anytime between set hours and be escorted off the ship.

Allegrissimo Drink Packageis an unlimited drink packages which included specialty coffee, bottled water (still or sparkling), wine, beer, co*cktails, soft drinks and gelato. The package is valid for non-premium alcohol only. The cost without the MSC Aurea Experience was 26€ per day for adults or 12€ per day for children.

It was a bit disappointing to have amid-leveldrink package with the Aurea Experience. There was only one beer choice (Heineken) and low grade wine choices.

Since Heineken wasthe same price as several other beers, it wasridiculous to only have oneincluded in the package. Also the wine selection wasn’tgreat. There wereonly 2 whites, 2 reds and 1 rosé. Even though other glasses are the same price. Though, thankfully, more wine choices were included than beer.

The package does include a variety of co*cktails just not with premium liquor.

The kids loved the package. Even though they don’t drink a lot of soda, having the treats of gelato, milkshakes, smoothies and kids co*cktails made them happy. However at 12€ per day, I’m not sure it’s worth it. As kids co*cktails and milkshakes are 4.20€each, they needed to consume at least 3 treats per day to break even.

Sundaes aren’t included, but the kids didn’t miss themwith all thegelato, milkshakes and slushes at their disposal.

For those whose experience didn’t include the drink packagebut wanted it as an add-on, Ithink it would be a little irritating to discover thateveryone in the stateroomhas to purchase the package. Had we gone that route, Derrick and Iwouldn’thave beenable toget a drink package and not have the kids get a package. Or vice versa. Without the Aurea Experience, it would have been a huge added cost to the priceof the cruise.

Tip – Ensure you bringextra paperworkto prove you purchased the Aurea Experience. Cruise cards are placed in the stateroom, so they aren’t available until after 2pm.

My ChoiceDining was a nice bonus as we never knew exactly when we would want eat. For the first couple of days,I made reservations in advance, so we didn’t have to wait but wedid find that 6:30 was a good time to get a table. The popular settings were after 7pm. Tables for My Choice Dining were reserved ina dedicated part of the restaurant.

Wellbeing Package included one massage from the spa menu, tanning shower, spa welcome co*cktail (strawberry smoothie) and access to the thermal area throughout the duration of the cruise. The thermal area includesfull access to the sauna, Turkish baths and 3 whirlpoolsin the Aurea Spa.

We chose the couples massage, but guests can pick their preferred massage from the spa menu. There were a few specialty massages not included with the package, but most were available for booking.

Access to thethermal area was a great bonus. This is the first cruise we’ve used saunas and found it a great way to relax. Plus the area wasn’t crowded, so we were able to use the whirlpoolswithout the crowds.

Free Room Service between6 am– 11pm. This is perfect for having breakfast delivered to your room.

Free kids foreign language and master chef classwas subject to availability. However, the kids cooking class that was offered during our cruise was available to everyone in the Kids Club, according to Lucy. So while I thought this would be a great feature, it’s not somethingnecessarily exclusivefor Aurea Experience guests.

Other Benefits:

• 50% discount on fitness classes and personal training.
• Med by MSC 100 ml Room Diffuser.
• Bathrobe and slippers to use during the cruise.
• Access to exclusive sun deck on select ships. Not available on theMSC Magnifica cruise ship.

Compare the experiences here.

So, why did we choose theMSC Aurea Experience? During our cruise, there were two embarkation ports – Genoa andCivitavecchia, Italy.Remaining staterooms available for booking werenot only limited bytheembarkation port, but to the experience purchased as well. If we cruised out of Genoa, I needed the Aurea Experience t0 get my desired room. If I sailed out ofCivitavecchia, I didn’t need theAurea Experience to get one of my choice rooms.

However, once we calculated the cost of flying into Rome, transportation to the port, an overnight stay, and the approximate cost of alcohol, we were almost to the cost of purchasing theAurea Experience and sailing outof Genoa, so this is the one we chose. Since massages and a few other perks were also included, the cost made sense for our family.

While I wouldn’tpayfor most of the benefits of the Area Experienceon a normal cruise, it was worth the cost as a package in our situation. Calculate the rates and benefits to determine which experience is best for you.

I hope this has helped clear up any questions on theMSC Aurea Experience. If you’ve sailed with MSC, which experience did you purchase?

Don’t miss ourMSC Cruise Travel Secrets! We have over20 tips & tricks for sailing with MSC.