abbeytravelstheworld

We did a 2 week back to back from 17 June-1st July. We had done this purely to get more time in Cuba so to be fair we were already disappointed when we started. We loved Cayman Islands and Roatan but overall we were disappointed with the cruise. More sea days on an already tiny ship made it feel extremely overcrowded compared to other lines we have cruised. Never a spot to be had by the pool on sea day. We also struck a most obnoxious man who kept telling us we were irresponsible for taking our baby on a cruise and it was abusive to have him in the heat. Everytime we encountered him in an elevator or at dinner he made a point of coming up to us and telling us we were bad parents. Now that is certainly not MSCs fault but still another notch in the disappointment we felt overall. I work as a TA and from my experience it's just not up to par with the other lines out there. An elderly lady next to us at the pool one night got her finger stuck in the pool lounger and required 8 stitches. When I told a pool attendant and pointed out all the blood on the deck he nodded, walked away and never came back. When we were walking after dinner a good 6 hrs later the blood was still there all over the deck. 

I realise  everyone likes different things on a cruise so mine is only one opinion, those that are yet to cruise may love it. 

Also happy to help with any questions 

I would ring again about that. We are on board right now and doing two weeks with the one booking number and have it in writing that we get 2x $400. We also had Cuba shore excursions pre paid in our package and get $100 per person per week for those too

We are on on board now doing a back to back and yes it's x2 $400 OBC. 

That's great you will still get to go to Cuba. You had super lucky timing there! 

We leave next week so if we cancelled we would have lost the lot. 

I know lots of you are saying its a good thing we can transfer to another cruise if we wish but I'm already at $5000 of non refundable Air fares from New Zealand to Miami and there is nothing else available with Msc in our date range. 

I guess everyone's vacation has a different $$ value to each of us and for me nothing short of a refund would have made this right. They make it out like we have a choice here but for those of us with imminent departures and large airfares we really do not. 

2 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

It's why you get trip insurance for such unpredictable and long-term planned trips

 

If a storm was moving into Havana while on your cruise, your filet would have been ground up, yes?

 

Why did you choose MSC over CCL or RCCL?

Oh, let me guess, price

 

Can't be because it was an appealing barge

You would be hard pressed to find travel insurance that covers you for acts of government such as this. We have a comprehensive travel insurance policy and I rang to be sure we could not claim and its a no so insurance won't help. 

I get the T&C, I work as a TA so I get it but it doesn't take the sting of disappointment away. We board Armonia next week and I don't feel a single bit excited for my vacation now. 

I must say I finally struck a helpful person on the phone with Msc last night. While I know I can't get a refund he actually said to me "I'm really sorry this happened and impacted your holiday plans, that must be really disappointing for you". I could have hugged the guy... I think all of us could use a bit of compassion on this and it was nice to have this acknowledged finally instead of having T&C shoved at us again and again. 

I understand MSC have to offer us nothing. I read the fine print and I get it but when you start comparing their offer to those of their competitors it stings. Especially for those of us that leave in a week with $5000 on airfares already invested. While I understand not picking my cruise for the ports side of things I did and if I was getting compensated the way other lines were I would be cancelling and going to Cuba by land. 

As a travel agent myself this has left me with a very sour opinion of MSC. It sends a message that if something goes wrong for my clients this is not a cruise line that goes to much effort to put things right. I told them as much on the phone and was told in no uncertain terms that "we don't care". That's probably the most honest statement I have got from them all week.

As far as OBC goes I finally got an answer yesterday that as we are on a 2 week b2b we do indeed get the $800USD. While it makes things a little better I am still bitter I can't cancel. 

We fly out for Miami next weekend. Here's hoping for calm seas and some. Effort on board to cheer people up for their dismal impressions so far. 

For those of you that have done ruins tours from Costa Maya how doable would this be with a stroller? We had not planned to do the ruins but now we will end up with 2 stops at Costa Maya in our back to back we might look at it. We have a 10 month old with us. 

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Inconsistent information is one of the biggest complaints that appear here. Don’t feel hopeless though, eventually MSc will communicate with new zeeland office. I know that’s probably no consolation and I do feel for you. I’d be very frustrated too- MSC isn’t a good fit for people who like to be well planned.

 

Do you have one booking number or two for your b2b? Unfortunately, my guess (and it’s just a guess) is that prior to cruising you’ll be told $400 if you only have one booking number. I “think” you may be able to plead a good case once onboard.

 

Hopefully MSc is reading this thread and realized that their competition is handling this much differently. MSc still has time to step up their game.

Sadly just the one booking number. I haven't been able to get an answer out of them today yet so still unknown. Do we think the itinerary after 17th June for the next week will be the same as for 10th June?

I wish i had a chance to cancel with MSC. I feel like they should have allowed this for those with an imminent departure (like this month!) . It's too late for us to find availability on their other ships and we are flying all the way from New Zealand so we have to go to Miami anyway with what we have spent on flights. We are doing the two week back to back and now it's almost the same cruise both weeks. I hope we get $800 OBC since it's back to back

1 minute ago, AerynSun_JohnCrighton said:

Don't know. TA seems to be getting information late. It's on MSC website for us, on here and my TA has it on their website now. 

I'm a TA myself and it's still getting me nowhere lol

So annoyed with Costa Maya. For those of us doing a back to back it's now almost the same cruise both weeks

So I just rang Msc regarding our cruise departing 17 June. I wanted to ask since its a back to back if we get $800 obc rather than $400 and they have zero Information that any compensation is being offered or what the new ports are. How can that be since the rest of us have figured it out! This was their Australian office which is who you get when you call through from New Zealand. This is getting more hopeless by the minute.. 

As ours was booked as a 2 week cruise I wonder if we will get the same $400 or if we get double. 

3 minutes ago, welwyngirl said:

We're Brits so it's a long haul for us to go on an old ship just to cruise round ports we have been to many times before.  On our last cruise,  a 17 day TA Rio to Lisbon my DH had a stroke and we were debarked in Brazil and spent a week in hospital and a week waiting for flights home.  Seems we're jinxed!

Hope your husband is doing much better now. That is scary! Flying from New Zealand ourselves so I feel you about the long haul. 

Ugh as someone doing a back to back on June 17 I will be even more disappointed if its Costa maya twice. I had low expectations after my phone call yesterday but I am even more disappointed now. 

I spoke with MSC this afternoon too and got much the same story as well as a very rude response to my query on possible compensation. They said they will be offering no compensation of any kind and they can change ports whenever they want. I realise this is true but in light of what other lines are offering some OBC would be the least they could do really. We fly out from New Zealand for Miami next weekend and picked a 2 week back to back on Armonia purely for Cuba. We are beyond disappointed.

I spoke to MSC regarding our cruise on 17th June out of Miami which we have booked as a two week back to back and although they don't have alternate ports yet the lady on the phone told me they will be offering no refunds, no compensation and no on board credit for future sailings.

To be fair she really sounded like sh could not be bothered with me and maybe she just didn't know so was running with that but i really do hope we get something. 

Yes definitely not the best customer service I've had. I'm a TA as well so i actually said it doesn't look very good for MSC to offer nothing when other cruise lines are at least offering something and that will stay in my mind when recommending cruise lines for my future clients. (and myself!!)

6 hours ago, AerynSun_JohnCrighton said:

Yes, I said that. I doubt MSC is gonna be as generous as RCCL. Even Carnival isn't. If rather then offer any OBC per person than by cabin as some ppl have different accounts but we shall see. I don't expect any money back. I do expect some options though and hopefully at least those long distance ppl that had to do flights are offered full refund.

You're right about that. Just got off the phone with them and talk about rude. She said "you won't be getting anything back. We can do whatever we want with the ports" I said that's a bit of a shame since other cruise lines are offering more and her reply was "we are not other cruise lines" Lovely! And no eta for new ports either

I'm booked on a two week back to back with Msc starting June 17 and not a word from them yet. Not even an email to acknowledge what's occuring. I work as a TA and no extra info available behind the scenes so far either. As we fly out of New Zealand quite soon for Miami I would love to know what's happening. If we were lucky enough to get a full refund we would take it and go via bahamas into Cuba and do a land based holiday. 

I wish Msc would let us know what's happening with our itinerary. We booked a two week back to back starting 17 June and not so much as an email. We are flying from New Zealand with our 10 month old in just over a week. Would love them to hurry up and inform us. If we are lucky enough to get offered a refund like the other lines we want to take it and fly Miami to Bahamas. Hang there for a few days then onto cuba from there on a land based holiday. 

It would make my day if they offer a full refund. We are thinking of this happens we will take our flights to Miami as planned, take a few days in the Bahamas and then fly to Cuba from there for a land based holiday. I would need to know ASAP though to sort a Cuba visa before we leave New Zealand on the 15th.

So what is everyone's guesses for substitute ports for Havana ? We're on a 2 week back to back departing 17th June so i really hope we don't get the same replacement port both weeks! I wanted that for Cuba since i had so much we were planning to see but i wouldn't really want 4 days in any other Caribbean port.

1 hour ago, OceansOfTravels said:

Really interested to see what our new ports are going to be. We leave June 17th and stop in Roatan June 19th, Costa Maya June 20th, Cozumel June 21st, and should've been Havana June 22nd-23rd. I'm hoping for maybe Grand Cayman June 22nd and then a Sea Day june 24th, or Belize for June 22nd. Really don't want to go to Key West or Nassau, that would be upsetting.

We're on the same departure as you but have booked the 2 week back to back so that we were meant to end up with 4 days in Havana. We're flying with our ten month old all the way from New Zealand and i'm so bitterly dissapointed by this. We already go to Grand Cayman in the 2 week of the itinerary so i'll be super annoyed if it happens to stop there the first week as well. I've never been to Key West or Nassau but to be honest i think i'll be disappointed with anything short of a full refund which i know won't be possible. I'd rather take a refund and fly to Cuba via Mexico. We only went the cruise route as we thought it would be easier with our baby. 

I see Royal Caribbean have pulled Havana as a port for their cruise this week. That definitely doesn't bode well for other cruise lines i would think.

I work as a travel agent  but i don't think we'll get any more news before you the general public.

Do you think since we have already paid it will be OK.