JPMoore

Hi,

 

Thanks for your post. I am considering a trip to London next year (in conjunction with a crossing on the QM2) and wondered if I should attend the exhibit again. It sounds like a visit to the exhibit in London is justified. I loved the exhibit at PEM. :)

 

Chuck

Do you think it would be better to get the book before or after seeing the exhibition ?

I am wondering whether to put it on my Christmas or birthday list !

I would recommend getting the book beforehand. The essays do go into more detail on the themes of the exhibition, and in that sense work well in providing context beforehand, but also enrich the objects after you've seen the exhibition. Refreshingly, the book is a mixture of authors from different backgrounds - so it doesn't read like a standard 'history of the ocean liner' text, but rather the way that it's interpreted by art historians, architectural theorists, designers etc.

seacruise9 - I must say I'm very jealous! 100% recommend visiting the V&A. Besides, you can also visit the Winnie-the-Pooh, Fashioned From Nature, and The Future Starts Here exhibitions if they take your fancy whilst you're here! :D

I interned as a research assistant on the exhibition for 9 months and can certainly say that it's going to be a great experience! Even if you've seen the exhibition at PEM and you're ever in London, do check out the V&A exhibition as there will be quite a few differences + the rest of the V&A's collections are worth the visit alone.

If you absolutely can't wait then the book is already out.

No - Ireland. But the UK office handles our bookings.

 

The booking in question was done through a TA who emailed them to request information on upgrading. They responded with the price difference quoted and not the full price.

Thanks Bea. I've fired off an email to TA so will see if anything more comes of it. I must say, the lack of consistency with MSC is quite striking ... completely dependent on who you speak to!

I have a Fantastica booking with all-inclusive included as a promotion. I could upgrade for the difference.

Exactly the same thing here - and you're in the UK right?

I was intrigued by this and so gave TA a call to see if our All-Inclusive Classic Package could be upgraded using the code. He couldn't find any option to add the code to their system, and so called MSC.

MSC were familiar with the code, but after trying to apply it the system wouldn't allow it. No certainty as to why, perhaps they have a limited number of code uses? She said the only option she had available on the system was to simply purchase the premium package outright.

Just to check - it seems a lot of you who were successful are in the Aurea experience, so being in Fantastica may be the issue. Just a thought...

Check out the prototype for the new MSC World Class, to be built by STX France and launching from the mid-2020s!

What do you guys think?

Update: Just received an email to say that our cabin has been reverted to the original one booked. Surprised and delighted as there has been no communication giving the reason why this happened in the first place. Hopefully that cabin now stays locked in. :)

 

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Glad to hear! Strange that for both of us they just returned our original cabins. Makes me wonder if two other cruisers are now in the same position as we were... :confused:

Update re my fiasco. Voicemail from my TA to say they have received a response from MSC but they are not happy with it and have gone back to them again (no idea what that response was but I'm thinking something along the lines of "tough luck, suck it up". I have sent messages direct to MSC too so I will see what comes from that.

 

What really irks me about this is that "someone" had to deliberately move us from our original booked cabin in order to give it to someone else. I don't like it. Not one bit!

 

We thought we had found our ideal cruise line. We will do our two cruises that we have booked with them but will look elsewhere in future.

It's unfortunate that the service is so inconsistent. As I mentioned, MSC (despite the move!) were extremely helpful with me, and the TA unable to do anything. Hope everything gets sorted for you.

We have booked an Aurea cabin for this September.My first time sailing with MSC.We are diamond with Royal so have black card with MSC.At the time of booking MSC told my TA that they could change our cabin but would only change to a suite nothing lower.Hoping we get upgraded to an Aurea suite.

Here's hoping! Have a great holiday.

Thanks for the review - interested to hear about the speciality restaurants. How did you find the MDR?

3rd and 4th beds are bunks - see the deck plans here

Delighted to hear this! :D Well done on chasing it up.

Thank you! I must say, seeing the other thread regarding the upgrade to the Aurea Suite, I've been bitten by the jealousy bug ;) Very much looking forward to my holiday, and thanks again all for your advice.

Congratulations! Have a wonderful voyage.

Resolved! MSC have moved us back into the original cabin, with their apologies.

As of yet no word from MSC, not sure what their timeframe is for responding to emails that aren't 'urgent'...

This is completely speculative on my behalf, but I wonder if as part of the focus on British clientele will mean a change in dining times - perhaps aligning more with P&O, Princess or Cunard?

From what I understand, only Seaside and Meraviglia class offer My Choice dining outside of Yacht Club and Aurea experiences.

Yes, we were upset last December when MSC changed our Splendida interior stateroom to a balcony stateroom. Don't they know that balcony staterooms are gateway drugs leading to suites? ;-)

Ha! I'm finding it hard to sympathise ;)

Does anyone know where the aurea private sundeck is on the Seaside? Also is there a deck 19, I don't see the "ONE pool" on the deck plans. We are booked in a SE3 Aurea Suite, dose anyone know if we will have access to the ONE pool?

 

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

Weirdly Deck 19 isn't on MSC's site, but I've found this which shows the ONE pool on Deck 19. Based on the description of the Aurea experience it doesn't seem like you get access as they are Yacht Club areas.

It is clearly stated in MSC booking conditions that your cabin number can change up until embarkation. They cannot however downgrade your cabin.

 

Annie

I completely get that. In this instance would you regard this as a downgrade?

The good news is that you went from one of the small insides, to one of the larger insides. The tradeoff is two upper bunks. I have two pictures of inside quads, and one has the bunks on the side walls, the other they are in the ceiling. I can't begin to guess what the difference is. EM

Thanks for letting me know! So in theory it's an 'upgrade', aside from my concern about the change in position.

Thanks everyone for your advice - I've emailed MSC directly (against my TA's 'advice') so will see what they say.

Could you give us the cabin numbers so we can examine the advantages...the number you gave in your original post is a Bella balcony...EM

My apologies! The original cabin was 12182, and we have been moved to 11014. Interested to hear what you think.

Not only MSC but all cruise line can do it. Its not that often but happens. Main reason - you are party of 2 booked cabin for 4 people or you booked handicap cabin .

I've just double checked deck plans, and what's actually happened is the opposite! Our original cabin was for two guests, whereas the one we've been moved to has space for 3rd and 4th guests.

Are MSC supplying us with some extra friends? :P

It really does depend on the port for me. Having looked at a lot of MSC's Med itineraries I've been really tempted by the idea of staying on the ship at Barcelona as I've been so many times. What would appeal to me about Barcelona in particular is the proximity of the port to the city - if I changed my mind I could easily hop off to the beach!

Certainly didn't sound like it to me. In fact, I sympathise with you as you're concerned about seasickness and chose a cabin position for that reason. I hope it can be sorted or, if not, that you won't have any problems in the newly assigned cabin.

N'aw, thanks! I'll keep the thread updated if there are any updates. I'm sure I can't be the only person that this has happened/may happen to?

We've been upgraded a couple of times - without any notice, too. Strange that yours was just a sideways move without any seeming sense to it!

Good to know! When I first went on my MSC booking and noticed the change I thought 'yay!', but after looking realised it was a completely horizontal move - although the cabin is now right at the front of the ship.

Not sure how to play it really. Either wait as the TA said and see if any more Inside cabins become available, or get on to MSC...

Just want to add: I really hope that I'm not coming across as a whinger! I'm more curious than anything.