This is the reply of my TA--
MSC confirmed that in order to get the new 40-60% LOWER PRICE for taxes and fees, they would need to reprice the entire booking to the new fare. They cannot price adjust ONLY the taxes and fees.
In my case, the port fees and taxes were genuinely high on the MSC website when I booked the cruise and now they have actually fallen 40 to 60% for 3 different MSc cruises.
Very very surprising and unusual!
The basic fare mentioned in the agent invoice was the same as that on the MSC website when I booked.
So my agent did not make any adjustment for non commissionable fare and he never does.
Both basic fare and taxes on my agents invoice are always exactly the same as that on the MSC website.
In my case the port fees and taxes were actually high on the MSC website when I booked, but are now much lower on the MSC website.
So it is a genuine fall in Port fees and taxes.
But the basic fare has also gone up, so the overall fare is higher
Some months after booking, if the basic cruise fare has gone up, but the port fees & taxes have reduced 50--65%, can we a price reduction ONLY on the port fees & taxes?
Thanks, These are 3 MSC cruises to the Norwegian fjords and Baltics.
Over all the total fare is much higher in two cruises, and only $12 lower in one cruise after the drastic fall in port fees and taxes.
What should I do?
Do you think that MSC will give us OBC for the difference or not?
Some months after booking, if the basic cruise fare has gone up, but the port fees & taxes have reduced 50--65%, can we a price reduction ONLY on the port fees & taxes?
Yes you can, but you will have to buy the alcohol free drinks package for all four of you.
it won't be worth it unless the four of you together consume around 28 or more non alcoholic drinks everyday.
Also the non alcoholic drink package onboard price is more than the easy plus package when included with the cruise at the time of booking.
I saw 2 videos of Hapag Lloyd Europa & Azamara Pursuit going through the Kiel canal.
From the videos it appears that these cruise ships were the main attraction, not the Kiel canal.
There is nothing much to see except the locks opening, greenery on both banks & a railway bridge.
I think the Rhine cruise is much better
Google says there are no local ferries giving joyrides through the Kiel canal from one end to the other (96km).
Only this is available https://www.sfk-kiel.de/en/cruises/fjord/
www.whatsinport.com also has a list of all Kiel attractons (attached herewith) but no mention of a boat ride or cruise through the Kiel canal
stadtplan_rueckseite_englisch.pdf
Hamburg will be our base city for day trips to Lubeck, Bremen, Wismar, Schwerin, Lunebeck.
We will also be spending 6 nights in Berlin (after the last Cruise) and doing 2 --3 day trips to Potsdam, Leipzig and Dresden
Do you have the link where I can book tickets for a 96 km Cruise through the Kiel canal, starting & ending in Kiel?
I don't know about YC, but for ordinary cabins you get a FULL REFUND of your deposit of $398, if you cancel more then 90 days prior to sailing. Penalties start at 89 days prior to sailing
From what I have seen in the past, different MSC ships (from the same port) have completely different shows, although the remaining activities & cuisine may be similar, just like in all cruise lines.
Yes, I have chosen the 2nd option (2 diff cruises) to experience a diff class of ships with completely diff shows & entertainment.
Maybe similar cuisine & activities.
Also the 7N in Hamburg in between the 2 cruises is necessary to fully explore Hamburg & do day trips to Lubeck, Bremen, Schwerin, Wismar, Lunebeck.
I had to cut down on extended land tours both before the 1st cruise & after the last.
Poesia is a second generation Musica class MSC ship while Fantasia is a third generation Fantasia class MSC ship.
So the design is completely different and i expect the shows, entertainment and activities also to be completely different.
Nevermind the cuisine being similar, this is not very important to me
HI, I want to change my existing booked MSC cruise to another new cruise on a different ship /different region/ different month.
Both existing (booked) cruise & new cruise are over 180 days away
Can I simply transfer the deposit $398 to the new cruise, or do I have to take a refund ( which takes over 30 days) & then pay a fresh deposit for the new cruise?
Thanks!
I forgot to mention that the second Cruise of the back to back is cheaper by $164 ( for 2 adults) than the second Cruise on a different ship (Poesia).
So far it's a split verdict, but I am more inclined to go for two different Cruises even though it's $164 more expensive and also inconvenient to travel from one port to another.
Because for me, the main attraction on a cruise is first the shows entertainment and activities, and then the sightseeing
No doubt the back to back Cruises are very convenient and do not involve any travelling, but I expect the shows at least to be different on 2 different MSC ships