Has anyone got some ideas? NEED HELP! Final Payment Dramas

[craftycousins]

Our final payment was due for our NOV 30 MSC Poesia Carribean cruise on the 1st of September, I supplied my credit card details to my TA in the USA (we are from Australia)

 

We are now being told that we need a US address to accept the payment, which is quite ridiculous as they were happy to accept our deposit in the first place!

 

It has been hard to contact our TA due to the time differences and I am starting to get really stressed that our cabin will be sold to someone else. We planned a 5 week trip with our two kids and grandparents around the USA based around the date of this cruise so I am not happy at the moment :mad:

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[CowPrincess]

A US-based mail forwarding service?

[Putterdude]

We are now being told that we need a US address to accept the payment, which is quite ridiculous as they were happy to accept our deposit in the first place!

 

 

With what you have told us I also find it hard to understand. I am afraid you may have to make a late night call to the TA and if necessary his or her supervisor to try to work thru this issue.

[leeanninfla]

Our final payment was due for our NOV 30 MSC Poesia Carribean cruise on the 1st of September, I supplied my credit card details to my TA in the USA (we are from Australia)

 

We are now being told that we need a US address to accept the payment, which is quite ridiculous as they were happy to accept our deposit in the first place!

 

It has been hard to contact our TA due to the time differences and I am starting to get really stressed that our cabin will be sold to someone else. We planned a 5 week trip with our two kids and grandparents around the USA based around the date of this cruise so I am not happy at the moment :mad:

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

 

MSC's policy states: MSC will accept ONLY U.S. and Canadian credit cards. They will not accept credit cards with an international billing address (and they DO NOT take Discover cards).

Sorry that you are running into this, you may want to contact MSC directly or your travel agents manager on how to proceed.

[Toto2Kansas]

Friends in Sydney ran into this same problem. They now use our address for their cruises. They were not allowed to book through a U.S. agent since they live in AU, without a U.S. address. I am surprised that you were able to reserve the cruise in the first place without a U.S. address. On our friend's last cruise, they almost were not allowed onboard because they were traveling with an Australian Passport with a U.S. residence address. Good Luck, I hope this all comes out OK for you.

[Putterdude]

On our friend's last cruise, they almost were not allowed onboard because they were traveling with an Australian Passport with a U.S. residence address. Good Luck, I hope this all comes out OK for you.

 

While I have no doubt that it happened, it nonetheless surprises me as there are many people who live in the US that travel with other countries passports.

[celle]

Friends in Sydney ran into this same problem. They now use our address for their cruises. They were not allowed to book through a U.S. agent since they live in AU, without a U.S. address. I am surprised that you were able to reserve the cruise in the first place without a U.S. address. On our friend's last cruise, they almost were not allowed onboard because they were traveling with an Australian Passport with a U.S. residence address. Good Luck, I hope this all comes out OK for you.

 

We live in New Zealand.

 

We've twice booked cruises with an on-line, US-based travel agent and have had no problems at all. Our NZ-issued credit card was accepted and there was no problem with our NZ address. So, from NZ anyway, you can book without having a US address.

 

Perhaps it's just MSC that has this problem? I'll remember not to cruise with them!

 

I don't see why an Aussie cannot have a US address either, as long as they are living legally in the US.

[craftycousins]

MSC's policy states: MSC will accept ONLY U.S. and Canadian credit cards. They will not accept credit cards with an international billing address (and they DO NOT take Discover cards).

 

 

Sorry that you are running into this, you may want to contact MSC directly or your travel agents manager on how to proceed.

 

 

The trouble is that they accepted my deposit with an international credit card so I don't know where that leaves them regarding their policy, surely when my TA booked she should have been told that this was a problem

 

We will be ringing my TA late tonight and see what see suggests! I have no problem being up late with a 6 week old baby! But at least I know now that other people have had this problem!

 

Is there any other way you can pay? other than credit card.

[orianagal]

with what you have told us i also find it hard to understand. I am afraid you may have to make a late night call to the ta and if necessary his or her supervisor to try to work thru this issue.

 

I totally agree

 

get the manager and discuss this

afterall they took your deposit with a CC and should have advised you once knowing your country of residence if there were going to be issues

 

and also like previously mentioned in the thread make sure they havent made an error about MSC themselves and what MSC accept

 

Good luck !!

[craftycousins]

A US-based mail forwarding service?

 

I have also thought about this, but do not want to run into any problems like the other poster where they will not let us board with an Australian passport and using a US address it may be a bit risky and if denied boarding I don't think that travel insurance would help me cover the costs

[boulders]

Can you overnight a USD money order?

[cruiseco]

If I was the agent I would accept the client's payment on my agency's merchant account and make the final payment to the cruise line either by agency check or put it on the agency credit card (always nice to rack up those FF miles).

 

This would obviously not be the preferred way to go since I would end up taking the hit in the transaction fees but it would solve the problem and that should be the priority at this point. If this is one of the huge online agencies like Expedia or Travelocity this might not be possible as I'm sure they have all sorts or rules and policies that would prevent this.

 

In fact, I wonder if this might not have been the way the original deposit was handled since there was no problem at that time. Either that or perhaps the policy has changed since the original payment was made.

[Arwenmark]

Hi, I am sorry this is happening, and I don't want to add more problems but is the currently six week old baby going on this trip? many lines have an age limit of six months for an infant on board. I have no idea about this cruiseline but something else to be sure of at this point.

DO let us know how this all turns out please. Good luck.

[6rugrats]

Hi, I am sorry this is happening, and I don't want to add more problems but is the currently six week old baby going on this trip? many lines have an age limit of six months for an infant on board. I have no idea about this cruiseline but something else to be sure of at this point.

DO let us know how this all turns out please. Good luck.

I have read that MSC has no infant age requirement and also that they have a minimum age for infants of three months. Don't know which is correct, but OP seems to be covered in any case.

 

Correct me if I am wrong OP, but you could have booked this cruise through an Australian TA, right? But, the prices are better for you if you book through a US TA. I note on the MSC Australia site kids do not sail free, but they do on the US site. Obviously, the cruise line would prefer to make more money, so they don't want people booking this way, thus the rejection of the foreign credit card.

[petez]

Just a suggestion but you could use USD Travellers Cheques (Amex are covered if they are lost in the post) I have recently done this from the UK regarding a vacation rental in the US

[6rugrats]

Just a suggestion but you could use USD Travellers Cheques (Amex are covered if they are lost in the post) I have recently done this from the UK regarding a vacation rental in the US

 

But OP's final payment was due yesterday.

[cruiseco]

But OP's final payment was due yesterday.

 

A TA can usually get that extended by a week or more. It really varies by ship/sail date but if the ship isn't full the cruise line would prefer to wait a few days for the money instead of canceling the booking.

[craftycousins]

Thanks everyone for you posts, but just wanted to let you know that everything has been sorted, we stayed up late into the night to ring the TA who had spoken with a supervisor at MSC and apparently it was all because I was trying to pay with an AMEX.

 

Amex cards in the US end with three zeros where ours in Australia do not, so they were wanting a US address to be able to use the credit card. So just a silly mix up but finally sorted out

 

So a tip to those who live outside the US don't try and pay with an AMEX, except now I miss out on all those frequent flyer points :(

 

Luckily we have two credit cards so we paid with a VISA and just received our e-tickets so I am very excited now! :D

 

Yes you are correct MSC has a minimum 3 months for an infant our baby will be 4 months by the time we board the boat, call me crazy I know but I have the grandparents with me for some babysitting, we will also be travelling with our 4 y.o DD.

 

I do not book with Australian travel agents as they are so much more expensive that booking through the US for some silly reason, if I had wanted to do the same cruise and to book through Australia it would have cost me $5000 AUD ($4000 USD) as opposed to the $3100 AUD ($2,500 USD) I paid just by using a US TA so a considerable saving!

[tea4ular]

Pay via PayPal? They (PayPal) has a one time use "credit card" specifically for using online so that vendors don't have access to your real credit card info. Perhaps you could try that?

 

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/Marketing_CommandDriven/securitycenter/buy/Privacy-outside