Sarah Bretz, ContributorMSC Cruises features a variety of upcharge specialty restaurants on its ships, with cuisines ranging from Asian and Italian to Mexican, seafood, steak, and more. Guests are able to dine in these restaurants on an individual basis, or purchase multi-meal dining packages at a discounted rate. In fact, the line just revamped its dining packages, offering a more streamlined, flexible, and inclusive experience. Passengers are now able to choose where they want to eat no matter the package, and have access to nearly the entire menu at all restaurants. Here, we’re going over the MSC specialty dining packages including how they work, what’s changed recently, and whether they’re a good value.
Complete Guide to the New MSC Specialty Dining Packages (2025)
MSC Dining Package Basics
MSC specialty dining packages give you the ability to pay a flat price and enjoy specialty restaurant meals on the ship. You can choose from packages that range from one to four meals. Some specialty venues on MSC are a la carte, so purchasing a dining package means that you can pay upfront and then not have to worry about the menu prices during your meal. Plus according to MSC, purchasing a dining package can save you up to 30 percent vs. if you dine in specialty restaurants without one.
When purchasing a dining package, you have the choice of either buying pre-cruise or waiting until you’re on the ship. If you purchase prior to the voyage, you can save up to 20 percent.
The new specialty restaurant packages are currently rolling out across most of the MSC Cruises fleet. They are now available on select sailings aboard MSC Seascape, Seashore, Meraviglia, and World America departing from Miami, Port Canaveral, and New York City this summer. They will be added to the rest of the applicable fleet by April 2026.
How much do the MSC specialty dining packages cost?
Specialty restaurant pricing will be the same across all ships based in the U.S. Available restaurants and pricing will vary in other regions.
If you purchase a single-meal package, here are the prices:
- Butcher’s Cut steakhouse: $55 per person
- Kaito Teppanyaki: $55 per person
- Paxos Greek restaurant: $49 per person
- Eataly Italian restaurant: $55 per person
- Ocean Cay Restaurant: $49 per person
- Kaito Sushi: $49 per person
- Hola! Tacos and Cantina: $25 per person
The last two restaurants, Kaito Sushi and Hola! Tacos, will both continue to also offer a la carte menu pricing. It’s up to you whether you want to buy them through a package for a fixed fee or order menu items a la carte.
When it comes to multi-meal packages, you can choose from two, three, or four meals.
- 2 specialty dining meals: $99 per person
- 3 specialty dining meals: $139 per person
- 4 specialty dining meals: $179 per person
We’ll get into the specifics of the inclusions and restrictions of each package below. For now, keep in mind that gratuities are included in the price of the package. Dining packages are only available to guests ages three and older; children under three dine for free.
What’s changed from the previous packages?
Like the new packages, MSC used to offer two to four-meal specialty dining experiences. However, the packages basically dictated which restaurants you could use them for, and at most venues you could only order from the ‘Dining Experience’ section of the menu which was very limited. For example, the two-meal package included one meal at Butcher’s Cut steakhouse and one at Kaito Teppanyaki — you didn’t get to choose your own restaurants. The three-meal package included Ocean Cay seafood restaurant, Butcher’s Cut, and Hola! Tacos & Cantina. The four-meal package included all four aforementioned venues.
Another change is that many restaurants that previously only had a la carte menus are now fixed-fee. While some special items are still an upcharge, it makes budgeting for dinners easier— even if you’re just making single-meal dining reservations that aren’t part of a package. Only two MSC specialty venues, Kaito Sushi and Hola! Tacos, will continue to offer a la carte menus, in addition to the new fixed prices.
Many of the smaller, older ships in the MSC Cruises fleet only have one or two specialty restaurants. Thus, these vessels will continue to offer these old dining packages: MSC Fantasia, Splendida, Divina, Preziosa, Orchestra, Poesia, Magnifica, and Musica.
Using the MSC Specialty Dining Packages
You can make reservations for specialty restaurants at least 30 days prior to departure, or you can make them once on board. It’s important to remember that some restaurants and reservation times fill up quickly, so we recommend booking prior to your cruise.
Welcome Aboard Package
The Welcome Aboard Package is the only dining package that you can ONLY book pre-cruise. It’s basically a one-meal special where you can save up to 30 percent off the list price if you dine in a specialty restaurant on the first evening of the cruise. It’s valid only on Caribbean, North America, and Alaska cruises.
A complete multi-course dining menu is included, with select premium options available for an extra charge. Kids ages three to 12 can order from a special kids’ menu for a flat $12 charge. Children under 3 dine for free in all specialty restaurants.
Two, Three, and Four-Meal Packages
MSC Cruises also offers two, three, and four-meal specialty dining packages. You have the flexibility for enjoying any combination of specialty restaurants of your choice with this package, including repeating favorite restaurants if you wish. The only exception to this is Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, which the dining package can only be used for once.
With these new packages, guests are entitled to at LEAST one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert at each specialty restaurant from almost the entire menu. A small number of premium options, such as Ozaki Wagyu beef, are available at a supplemental charge. The dining packages include food only; you’ll be charged menu price for specialty and alcoholic beverages.
Is the MSC specialty dining package a good value?
With most specialty restaurants now offering a fixed rate with no option to pay a la carte, determining whether a package is worth the cost is entirely up to you. Look at menus and decide whether or not a three-course meal from that venue will be worth what you’re considering paying.
For illustrative purposes, let’s say you’re taking a seven-night cruise on MSC World America and want to purchase a three-meal dining package. This costs $139 per person, or $278 for a couple. (Don’t forget that gratuities are included!). If you were to divide the price evenly by meal, it would cost just over $46 per person, per meal or just over $92 per couple, per meal.
When looking at the single-meal prices for the specialty restaurants on board, you’re already saving money at $46 per person as every single restaurant costs more than that except Hola! Tacos. (If you’re planning to eat all three meals at Hola! Tacos, you’re better off either paying for menu items a la carte or purchasing the package for that venue on an individual basis.)
But determining the value isn’t just about whether the numbers work out. If you aren’t a big “fine dining” person and would be just as happy enjoying the main dining room or buffet each night, the package might not be worth the money for you. Likewise, if you’re only really interested in one specialty restaurant, don’t force yourself to get a multi-meal package and go to other ones just because it seems like a “good deal” — just purchase dinner for that one restaurant.
If you’re purely asking whether it makes sense math-wise to buy an MSC specialty dining package, it does. Even the two-meal package, which costs $99 per person, comes out to just $49.50 per meal. That’s about the same price or cheaper than nearly all specialty venues on board. Plus each package allows for one meal at Butcher’s Cut, where you’d already likely get more than your money’s worth — even if you paid the single-meal price at $55. The value in numbers goes up even more when you get a four-meal package: $44.75 per person, per meal.
Just don’t forget to use up all of your meal credits — they aren’t refundable if you come up short at the end of the cruise.
Comments
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