MSC Cruises follows in Carnival footsteps as it introduces new alcohol rule

One thing the vast majority of adults will experience on a cruise ship is sitting down for an alcoholic drink or two while sailing the open seas.

Whether it's a beer, cocktail or even a glass of champagne, everyone has their own personal choice when it comes to picking their poison.

Now, for those travelling with MSC Cruises, there is a major rule change that everyone having a drink will need to be aware of.

The cruise line, based out of Italy, is by no means the first to go down this route either. Just take a look at Carnival Cruise Line, the biggest subsidiary of the world's largest cruise line, Carnival Corporation & plc, who did similar last year.

Ain't it the life? (Getty Stock Images)

MSC Cruises alcohol policy changed

The third largest cruise line in the world after Carnival and Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises has made an important change to one of its add-ons that hundreds of thousands of adults select every year for their trips.

We're talking about the drinks package and, in particular, the one that comes with booze.

It is one of many additional purchases guests can make while on a cruise. From Wi-Fi to spa treatments, paying to get on a cruise ship is simply where the spending begins for many sun-seekers.

As for the beverage drinks, MSC Cruises had run a bottomless policy for its three alcoholic packages. Well, that's now changed.

MSC Cruises now come with a maximum of 15 alcoholic drinks per day in the beverage packages (Horacio Villalobos-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

How many drinks can you now have with MSC Cruises?

Those who pay for the MSC Cruises drinks packages will now face a limit on how many alcoholic drinks they can have every day.

Carnival does the same already with its Cheers package, where the booze is limited to 15 drinks a day. That is also the case if you decided to go pay-as-you-drink instead of through a package.

MSC Cruises is now following in the footsteps of Carnival with a 15 drink limit.

The difference for MSC Cruises compared to Carnival is that guests can keep drinking after 15. The catch is you have to pay for them on top of your package, with the next day's allowance resetting at 6am every day, according to the company website.

More than one million people travel with MSC Cruises every year (Anthony Devlin/Getty Images for MSC Cruises)

Igloo Cruise, a travel agent that books with MSC Cruises, wrote: "If you have purchased a drinks package after 18 December, 2024 and are departing on a sailing from 1 April, 2025 onwards, you will have a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person, per day.

"There is no cap on non-alcoholic drinks and you'll have the option to purchase additional alcoholic drinks."

MSC Cruises said there is a welfare aspect to the rule change, with one email to passengers saying it was about 'promoting a healthy and balanced approach to indulgence'.