MSC Opera Winter Season Canaries Cancellation and Repositioning to Cuba

We were booked on MSC Opera from Gran Canaria to Genoa on her re-positioning voyage next March.

We have paid for flights from England to meet up with and leave the ship, as well as hotel accommodation.

They have offered us as an alternative, two repositioning voyages, three-weeks long to the Americas in November, or "any other Grand Voyage". Plus a derisory on-board credit of €100, and reimbursement of our out-of-pocket expenses.

I am not best pleased to be mucked about for purely commercial profit reasons, but maybe there is a silver lining in this cloud. I quite fancy a Cuba cruise if the flights were included.

If you were booked on Opera during winter 2015/16, how did the cancellation affect you, and what was the outcome? Did you re-book or refund?

We were booked on MSC Opera from Gran Canaria to Genoa on her re-positioning voyage next March.

 

We have paid for flights from England to meet up with and leave the ship, as well as hotel accommodation.

 

They have offered us as an alternative, two repositioning voyages, three-weeks long to the Americas in November, or "any other Grand Voyage". Plus a derisory on-board credit of €100, and reimbursement of our out-of-pocket expenses.

 

I am not best pleased to be mucked about for purely commercial profit reasons, but maybe there is a silver lining in this cloud. I quite fancy a Cuba cruise if the flights were included.

 

If you were booked on Opera during winter 2015/16, how did the cancellation affect you, and what was the outcome? Did you re-book or refund?

Try reading the thread on the link below where Tomvet describes exactly what has happened to him but the outcome has yet to be resolved (unless he's forgotten to post it)

He's NOT happy with MSC, to say the least

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum...p?f=20&t=10319

I've found what Tom has said on another thread

We were due to sail on Opera on Dec 2nd from Genoa to Tenerife. It still leaves Genoa on December 2nd but is heading to Cuba! Looks like we will be offered an alternative cruise or refund - either I can live with but the problem is that we booked our flights independently and I wonder if MSC have an obligation to reimburse us for these! :(

 

If they offer an alternative cruise, are their restrictions i.e. equal length, equal value, could you transfer your budget winter cruise to a high season summer one :D

 

The other option is that the first 9 nights of the Grand Voyage to Cuba may be identical to the 9 nighter we booked to Tenerife i.e. we were due to disembark in Tenerife on December 11th and Opera is due to arrive in Havana on December 18th - time wise this is feasible but I am not sure if MSC would prefer to sell a 16 night Genoa to Havana rather than trying to sell a 7 night Tenerife to Havana cruise!

 

What annoys me most is that clearly a decision has been made, yet the Canary Isl cruises are still available to purchase on the various MSC internet sites! :confused:

on this thread

post #7

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2229711#

Pete

It is not a fun situation but the repo from Havana to the caribbean from April 2016 is looking awesome! I wish I could go but 20+ nights is too much to get off work during easter time. :(

They offered us two alternative repositioning voyages and a full refund of our out of pocket expenses. Our TA told them right away the alternatives were unacceptable, and MSC then said we could book any cruise out of their 2016 brochure for the same money.

We have now supplied our receipts and are awaiting reimbursement, and have chosen another cruise, but they have now stated the alternative cruise offer was only valid for eight weeks and is now finished.

I don't recall anything about a time-limited offer, and neither does the agent. Do any of you?

Little wonder that people are turning away from MSC and travel agents do their best to shy away from booking them!

Little wonder that people are turning away from MSC and travel agents do their best to shy away from booking them!

Too true.

There is a number of UK cruisers who were regular posters to this forum that are now posting on other boards.

It would appear that folk are voting with their wallets.

Annie

No surprise really Annie.