Just found out ship change!

[lauderdalebob]

I'm booked in a particular cabin on the Magnifica for 10/9/10 7 nights out of Quebec. Just noticed on the agency website where I booked it that they also now had listed the Poesia going the exact same days, same itinerary, etc., but said call for prices. You could still book Magnifica through their website, pick a cabin, etc.

 

Looking at MSC website I did NOT see Magnifica now doing what I had booked. I called their 800 number and woman informed me that unofficially Magnifica was NOT going to be doing that itinerary now but Poesa would be and at some point in a few weeks they will be switching all the bookings from one ship to the other.

 

I asked her if I would still have the same cabin on Poesia (as I particularly picked out this aft cabin) and she said more than likely but that I also might want to call my booking agent and ask them to put a note on my booking NOT to put me in another cabin. I had already added a note should it happen that I did NOT want an upgrade either.

 

I called the large online agency next and the woman I spoke to said they had not been officially notified of this change but to hold and she would call them. She did and then came back and said "yes" they are going to be switching ships. That's fine since I really didn't care WHICH ship, just the itinerary and in particular a corner aft cabin. The agent said within a month I should be receiving notice of all this that MSC is doing.

 

Just thought I'd pass this info along to anyone else who might be booked for next year.

[atleetalie]

I think they should had informed you before you would find out for yourself, on the other hand it must be more anoying when you book and within a couple of days they change your ship and others knew that when you booked. Overall I think it's a shame this has to go this way, but such things happen. However you get a same-class ship, the newest one. But I hope for you, you'll get the same cabin.

[booklady26]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

I've been looking at at the 10/22 10 day RT out of NYC although I haven't booked yet. I noticed on the MSC website that it now shows Poesia in lieu of Magnifica.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I think the MSC website is kind of screwy, not very user friendly and doesn't give you a lot of info like most other cruise lines' sites. So I figured it was just an error.

 

Actually, I'm not even sure if the Poesia is doing the 10 day RT. It only shows a 17 day NYC to Quebec. Although I don't know why anyone would do that. It's essentially a combination of a 10 day RT NYC and 7 day one way NYC to Quebec. The ports are virtually the same for both legs with more sea days on the 10 day segment.

 

I wonder why the ship was changed? Did the person you spoke to give you any idea?

[AmoMondo]

It is possible that both lengths of cruise will be available. MSC let people board and disemabark at different ports. For someone coming from oversea - they may want a longer sailing with the opportunity to have a stay either end in Quebec and NYC. Whilst I guess others will prefer the 12 dat RT.

They also sometimes sell the cruise as different lengths in different countries. For example in the UK, last year I bought a 9 day Dover to genoa repositioning cruise. I later on found that others had bought it as a 12 day starting in Copenhagen, some an 11 starting in Amsterdam. The same is true of the transatlantic crossing. maybe they are planning something similar with this one

[lauderdalebob]

Sorry, I don't know why they are switching ships from Magnifica to Poesia. I assume it's because the Magnifica may not be ready on time. Either way, personally I don't care as long as I get the same cabin (and being this far out I assume I would). I've never sailed MSC before so will be curious to see what I think of it compared to the others I've been on. Time will tell.

[carlacruz]

http://www.mscwebtv.com/view/EN/visit_msc_poesia

[cruiser87654321]

We are trouble ifthe Magnifica will not be ready for sept 10, we are on her in March 10 out of Venice. I think they will just have switched ships, not that it will not be ready

[boca7]

Seems to me that its obvious that they were goinh to send 2 ships to the US & realized they couldn`t fill them so decided to just sent the Poesia & have Magnifica do roundtrip Venice. There`s a very large group from Australia that were booked from Venice to US on Magnifica & just recently changed to Poesia from Hamburg.

[Koolkrewser]

Seems to me that its obvious that they were going to send 2 ships to the US & realized they couldn`t fill them so decided to just sent the Poesia & have Magnifica do roundtrip Venice. There`s a very large group from Australia that were booked from Venice to US on Magnifica & just recently changed to Poesia from Hamburg.

Make that a very unhappy bunch of Australians(this particular cruise was offered @ a great rate in OZ) that were happily anticipating sailing out of Venice into the Med & onto NYC on the brand new Magnifica, to then be informed no new Magnifica oh & by the way, you will be now leaving from Germany & no sunny Med but the somewhat cooler climes of Northern Europe & lastly you need to tell us quickly what you want to do, as the cruise is totally booked out with a waiting list so if you don't want to change there is a line waiting. Some said no thanks, but most of us from OZ appear to have stayed with the changes. What can you do? Oh and some kept their chosen cabin from the Magnifica booking but some like us got a complete opposite one than we would have chosen originally. Luckily with the time frame out, I don't think anyone had made any flight or accom bookings.

I don't think the changes had anything to do with light bookings as according to TA, there was incredible interest from the outset.

[boca7]

Personally i can relate to the australians being upset, whose responsibility is it to relate the change? Cruise lines normally inform agents who book it, seems strange that almost everyone who wasn`t informed or aware is from australia.

[CruisingAmazona]

This is truly bothering me to no end! I have just sent an e-mail to both MSC and to my TA to confirm if this is true, although I am afraid it is, because if you look at the calendar on the MSC website for the Maginifica, on my sailing date (10-16-10) it says "Venice to somewhere (don't remember). Having said that, I am not a happy camper (a) because I would think that immediately after this decision was made MSC/TA should have contacted us, and (b) because while I am sure the Poesia is a beautiful ship, I booked on the premise that I was sailing on a brand new ship and not one that would be 2 years and 6 months old (on Oct. 2010). Not sure what I'm going to do, but cancelling is certainly a posibility.:mad:

[CruisingAmazona]

The ship change is definitely confirmed. MSC responded to my e-mail. No explanation was given as the "why" of the change. My signature block is changed so I guess we'll be sailing the Poesia now.