Balcony Blitz???

Hi, saw the Balcony Blitz promo - booking a bella inside (looking at Divina next June) gives you auto upgrade to Bella balcony, assigned 1 week before cruise.

Positives/negatives?

We just booked the June 4th under this promo. Never been on a cruise with this line. I would like info too as we have until March 20th to cancel with 100% refund.

Hi, saw the Balcony Blitz promo - booking a bella inside (looking at Divina next June) gives you auto upgrade to Bella balcony, assigned 1 week before cruise.

 

Positives/negatives?

It's a new promo but it cant be that bad if you're getting a small balcony room in place of a small inside.

I e booked under similar promotions in the UK in the past. What's the negative, you pay for an inside and get a balcony?it won't be the biggest balcony nor the one in the best location. All other benefits are the same as they are both Bella.

Hi, saw the Balcony Blitz promo - booking a bella inside (looking at Divina next June) gives you auto upgrade to Bella balcony, assigned 1 week before cruise.

 

Positives/negatives?

If it seems like a good price for a balcony then, yes, go for it. I've booked a cruise for next April under a similar promotion. Sometimes other promotions come along which work out better value. I just know that I wouldn't get a balcony any cheaper for that itinerary with other promotions than I did with this particular one.

However, I've seen other "free upgrade" offers where the lead-in price (ie Bella inside) was so ridiculous to begin with that I read it as Bella inside for the price of Bella Balcony!!!!

If it seems like a good price for a balcony then, yes, go for it. I've booked a cruise for next April under a similar promotion. Sometimes other promotions come along which work out better value. I just know that I wouldn't get a balcony any cheaper for that itinerary with other promotions than I did with this particular one.

 

However, I've seen other "free upgrade" offers where the lead-in price (ie Bella inside) was so ridiculous to begin with that I read it as Bella inside for the price of Bella Balcony!!!!

Spot on Bea.

it's also a neat way of getting rid of all those Deck 8 balconies behind the lifeboats by making the guests feel they've got it for free

Pete

Spot on Bea.

it's also a neat way of getting rid of all those Deck 8 balconies behind the lifeboats by making the guests feel they've got it for free

 

Pete

So true!!!

It's also a way of only having insides to sell off closer to the cruise time rather than having to offer balconies at knock-down prices which would tick off those who paid higher prices earlier on!

Sorry to disappoint the naysayers, but the balcony I got was not on deck 8 facing the lifeboats, but on deck 9 forward on the outside hump #9054

Sorry to disappoint the naysayers, but the balcony I got was not on deck 8 facing the lifeboats, but on deck 9 forward on the outside hump #9054

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but, you have got the other nightmare,(for some people), the infamous "metal" balcony..It's like having an OV cabin with no glass in the window.

ALL the balconies on deck 8 and 9, on the forward hump on DIVINA are "metal"

Unfortunately the naysayers are equipped with info that many TAs don't have and MSC won't tell you.

As I said earlier they are trying to dump the unpopular cabins by passing them off as a free upgrade.

Here is a typical example

Courtesy of cruisetrail

Here are the deck 9 cabins highlighted on Preziosa (identical to Divina). NB on the deck numbering,there is no mistaake leaving out deck17. deck 17 does not exist on any MSC ship for Italian superstition reasons

Pete

When do you get to see the assigned cabin? Do you have to pay in full first?

Spot on Bea.

it's also a neat way of getting rid of all those Deck 8 balconies behind the lifeboats by making the guests feel they've got it for free

 

Pete

They can get rid of it on me anytime :)

Do the life boats get in your sight range? Yes! Is it a problem? Noooooo!

Photographic evidence attached but don't pay attention to the mess :D

Interior room is listed at $425 pp but you pay $579 for the obstructed view half balcony. Free upgrade? I guess it all depends on how you want spin it. That said, if you believe this is a good deal, go for it.

They can get rid of it on me anytime :)

Do the life boats get in your sight range? Yes! Is it a problem? Noooooo!

Photographic evidence attached but don't pay attention to the mess :D

Judging by the responses on the Divina B1 vs B2 vs B3 thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2021386

it does matter to a lot of people. But it must be bourne in mind that those people replying to that thread are paying for a balcony and feel short changed when given a lifeboat top to look at, or, have a large metal frame to look through.

Remember 8 of those "lifeboat" balconies are defined as "obstructed view" by MSC in their brochure deck plans.

It's a different senario if you feel you have been given a free upgrade from an inside.

What is the crux of the matter is are MSC pricing the Insides at a Balcony price and then offering a "free" upgrade.

Some would say MSC are playing a clever marketing game by trying to fill those unpopular cabins with guests who feel they are getting something for nothing. And they appear to be succeeding.

It remains to be seen whether the pricing has to be adjusted to satisfy their guests.

It is undoubtedly a chance for some people to experience having a balcony for a reasonable price and they presumably will be happy with the situation.

It's the people who have already had balconies before who may feel let down when they see what they have been allocated..

The post by "deliver42" is a case in point, I'm sure they thought they had a regular balcony and may well be disappointed with the allocated cabin, alternatively they may be delighted at the prospect of a balcony..

At least they know the actual situation now, so can take informed decisions with regard to their booking.

I look forward to their response.

Pete

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm quite happy with the cove balcony. No, you don't have to be paid for the cabin number. They assign within 7 days of booking. Thanks for the pic though.

Did you log in to your account on their website to see the cabin assignment or did you agent call with it?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm quite happy with the cove balcony. No, you don't have to be paid for the cabin number. They assign within 7 days of booking. Thanks for the pic though.

I happy to be wrong in my assumption and apologise for my presumtiveness

Have a great cruise on a fantastic ship

Pete

Thank you very much Skier52. This gives me a chance to see what MSC is all about, without spending $2000.00 or better. I'm seriously considering the Seaside for 2017, and I think this will give me an idea what to expect on the Seaside, or again on the Divina in a more favorable balcony. The ship experience, as a whole, shouldn't be that much different.

to Apatchetear. The website totally messed up my reservation, so I called MSC to straighten it out, which they did. That's when I found out my cabin, and also the 5% discount for the loyalty match. I didn't ask for either. It was given unsolicited.You should get your cabin assignment within 7 days of booking.

Just booked " all in" rate at $550. per person for inside l1 with upgrade to balcony. Checked into my reservation today and have been assigned a B2 on deck 10 (10134). Looks like a good deal to me. Booking was made on 8/15/15 for a 4/30/16 cruise. Do not have to wait till 7 days out for room assignment. Now I can work with MSC for a better upgrade.

Just booked " all in" rate at $550. per person for inside l1 with upgrade to balcony. Checked into my reservation today and have been assigned a B2 on deck 10 (10134). Looks like a good deal to me. Booking was made on 8/15/15 for a 4/30/16 cruise. Do not have to wait till 7 days out for room assignment. Now I can work with MSC for a better upgrade.

Under the new experiences system your original inside I1 is a "Bella" - Inside,

Have you got an upgrade to "Fantastica - balcony" or just an upgrade to a Balcony and kept the "Bella" ??

I say this because cabin 10134 comes up on the deckplans on the USA site as a "Fanastica - Balcony"

If you can get an upgrade to "Fantastica" that would be brilliant as the T&Cs state only the cabin is upgraded and not the experience.

When a complimentary upgrade is offered, our guests will benefit from the higher category cabin (from Bella to Fantastica for example), but not receive the benefits (pre-cruise or onboard).

It is possible to get the experience upgraded for free, I did it myself last year on the Opera repo to S. Africa.

I managed to persuade MSC to give the upgrade as both myself and my wife are Black card holders so I quoted the "BEST CATAGORY UPGRADE" benefit of the MSC club as it was a perk then, but has now been removed from the VOYAGERS CLUB benefits.

I wish you all the best with your upgrading and if you succeed it would be nice to know on what basis your persuasion worked.

Pete

Under this deal we will stay with "Bella". Will work on upgrade as time goes on.Still a great deal.

Anything with a view better than four walls is an excellent 'free' upgrade, IMHO. It's got to feel like so much more real estate than an interior. :D

I've been booked since 08/13, and was given balcony #9054, which I found out was steel. Thanks to Skier52 for the pics. I called yesterday just to see if a change was possible. The service agent said she would have to contact Italy because on a guaranty, they couldn't do that. She said she would let me know today. When I came home from work, I found an e-mail conformation that I've been changed to 10235, which is on the rear hump, by the elevator. What a pleasant surprise. I was happy before, but now I'm elated, especially after hearing about their poor customer service. I have found the service spectacular, this time and last Sunday for a website problem.

We booked on 8/11 and still haven't been assigned a balcony room. We did the balcony blitz and on MSC Facebook page they stated in a reply that it would be assigned within one week. We called the agent that booked us and she said it could take up to 15 days to get an assignment. We called the general number and they said it could be up to within 7 days of sailing before we get an assignment. Don't know what is going on, but they don't seem to be consistent with their answers. I guess we have to wait some more.

Just now see it on the website also in the fine print that it will be assigned within one week of booking....hmmm.

I've been booked since 08/13, and was given balcony #9054, which I found out was steel. Thanks to Skier52 for the pics. I called yesterday just to see if a change was possible. The service agent said she would have to contact Italy because on a guaranty, they couldn't do that. She said she would let me know today. When I came home from work, I found an e-mail conformation that I've been changed to 10235, which is on the rear hump, by the elevator. What a pleasant surprise. I was happy before, but now I'm elated, especially after hearing about their poor customer service. I have found the service spectacular, this time and last Sunday for a website problem.

10235 is in a brilliant position on the forward corner of the hump, close to the lifts for access to the MDRs.

What a great upgrade, and presumabaly at a bargiain price as well.

Now all you need is to wrangle a Fantastica package out of them as well.

Have a great cruise on Divina

Pete