Another customer fed up with MSC

[cruise pup]

To all you MSC gestapo ready to pounce on anyone who dare makes any negative remarks about your beloved cruise line, I am ready to heave myself onto the sacrificial pyre:

 

I kept trying to enter information to my web check-in and it would not allow me to enter my state which is a required field. I finally called MSC support and was told that you need to enter 00 before your zip code. Yes, that did the trick but w-t-f? When I mentioned to the techie that this was something that needs to be fixed I got no reply. Just another example of how MSC is the worst in operating a cruise line.

Edited August 15, 2014 by cruise pup

[Mikesa1721]

To all you MSC gestapo ready to pounce on anyone who dare makes any negative remarks about your beloved cruise line, I am ready to heave myself onto the sacrificial pyre:

 

I kept trying to enter information to my web check-in and it would not allow me to enter my state which is a required field. I finally called MSC support and was told that you need to enter 00 before your zip code. Yes, that did the trick but w-t-f? When I mentioned to the techie that this was something that needs to be fixed I got no reply. Just another example of how MSC is the worst in operating a cruise line.

 

I'll be one of the first to agree with you in regards to the website. It seems to get progressively worse than better. Their website is the first interaction someone new to MSC will have. If the on-line experience isn't very good, what's to say the end product isn't either. Now, having said that,,we know the website is in desperate need of an overhaul, but that would never stop us from having a great time aboard an absolutely beautiful ship like Divina.:)

[Katgoesonholiday]

Their website is not a reflection of how they operate a cruise line. If you think it is then you are really best canceling your booking and sailing elsewhere because it sounds like you are looking for trouble and won't be happy no matter what.

 

Because seriously...you've come onto a online message board pronouncing that you are fed up with MSC and that they are the worst at operating a cruise line over a relatively small issue with the website. Doesn't that sound a little over dramatic to you?

 

If you can't handle this then I suggest you take it as a sign that your money is better spent elsewhere - and save both us and yourself the inevitable annoyance of all the niggly little things that you can't handle on the cruise that will culminate to make it THE WORST CRUISE EVAH!!!!

 

Just my 2 cents worth as a non MSC Gestapo.

[AmoMondo]

None of us like the website, it is a complete pain in the proverbial to use.

 

However, it is a minor blip that you got sorted after a call. It doesn't mean that everything is bad and they are the worst at everything. So I agree with the others, yore being a bit OTT about this and probably are not going to adapt well onboard if you encounter some other little glitches.

[cjvinthechair]

Wee bit of sympathy with the original poster, as really the website, as a first 'contact' for many potential cruisers, ought to reflect all that's best about a line.

Fortunately, it's become no worse than a regular standing joke to those who know that the end product is vastly better than the website might make you believe - best policy, ignore it & enjoy the stunning ships and excellent value !

[jkgourmet]

Trust me, Celebrity website is every bit as bad!

[alexkrn46]

add rccl customer service and web site. my husband jokes if the onboard service was as bad as shore side service, cruise ships would never sail.

[Katgoesonholiday]

Disney can be a pain too. I've several times got stuck in infinite loops when my departure port and sailing month didn't match so it sent me back to the beginning again with no explanation as to why.

[The_Big_M]

Trust me, Celebrity website is every bit as bad!

 

And Royal Caribbean.

 

While not saying it's a good thing, it's certainly an overreaction. And to make out that MSC is the only one who has problems with this is laughable.

[JSnow789]

I can't wait to sail MSC. So far, every-and I mean EVERY negative I've heard/read has to do with issues off the ship (like this one), or, expectations that were unrealistic. I'm in the business of managing expectations-I do it every day, in every encounter, with everybody I meet!

 

Now don't get me started on all the positives-because those are when my expectations are exceeded, and I can't do that on my own.

 

Set your own expectations and you can never be disappointed; only overwhelmed!!!

 

:)

[papcx]

MSC gestapo?!

 

I get the point your making, but Gestapo is a little strong!

 

The on-board experience is great. Have fun.

[CeleBrat]

I do not enjoy that there is no way to navigate to your already-booked and online-checked-in cruise via the website. Each and every time you want to access the site and add to your reservation (shore excursion, drinks, etc), you have enter your booking #, type in your name, ship, sailing date, and enter the secret hard-to-read code.

 

You'd think that if you've already checked-in online, the info would be there in your dashboard.

 

AAARGH!!!

 

CeleBrat

[Katgoesonholiday]

The website completely sucks. Its a good thing they are a cruise line and not an IT company! And the other good thing is that they are much better at being a cruise line than their website would suggest. I had a wonderful cruise last month and wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again.

[nacdcruiser]

To all you MSC gestapo ready to pounce on anyone who dare makes any negative remarks about your beloved cruise line, I am ready to heave myself onto the sacrificial pyre:

 

I kept trying to enter information to my web check-in and it would not allow me to enter my state which is a required field. I finally called MSC support and was told that you need to enter 00 before your zip code. Yes, that did the trick but w-t-f? When I mentioned to the techie that this was something that needs to be fixed I got no reply. Just another example of how MSC is the worst in operating a cruise line.

 

If you can figure out how to post a picture on cc all by yourself - the MSC website will be a piece of cake.

[lorenzod]

I do not enjoy that there is no way to navigate to your already-booked and online-checked-in cruise via the website. Each and every time you want to access the site and add to your reservation (shore excursion, drinks, etc), you have enter your booking #, type in your name, ship, sailing date, and enter the secret hard-to-read code.

 

You'd think that if you've already checked-in online, the info would be there in your dashboard.

 

AAARGH!!!

 

CeleBrat

 

You will enjoy the Divina. We sailed it last week. Go to the Divina review we posted under member reviews. (Lorenzod)

We sailed with you, CeleBrat, back in 2009 on the Orchestra.

Marsha and Larry

[lorenzod]

I do not enjoy that there is no way to navigate to your already-booked and online-checked-in cruise via the website. Each and every time you want to access the site and add to your reservation (shore excursion, drinks, etc), you have enter your booking #, type in your name, ship, sailing date, and enter the secret hard-to-read code.

 

You'd think that if you've already checked-in online, the info would be there in your dashboard.

 

AAARGH!!!

 

CeleBrat

Happy 20th anniversary. I am attaching a copy of our review of the MSC Divina so you can use it as a guide for your upcoming cruise. Your reviews have always been so interesting and well written, just wanted to return the favor. Are your kids going with you? Hope your adorable family is well. We were recently in Celebration for a convention and had a mishap that landed me in the Celebration Hospital for 3 days. You have one great hospital there. It was better than staying in a 4 Star hotel. I hope you have a great cruise. We enjoyed meeting you on the MSC Orchestra.

 

Smooth Sailing on the most beautiful ship ever

 

We had a very enjoyable cruise on the MSC Divina despite a very difficult embarkation. We had been told by MSC that we could board the ship at noon so we arrived at the port of Miami at 11 AM. We had requested a wheel chair and someone to assist us boarding when we booked the cruise since I had recently suffered a compression fracture of my back. Unfortunately when we asked where to get the wheel chair they told us to go to the second floor. We took the elevator up only to find the building was being evacuated and we had to go back outside. No one knew what was going on and we finally heard that there was a gas leak and we were told to walk to the next building. That building was locked and no one around to tell us what to do. It was very hot outside that day and the walk was difficult for my husband(who has a heart condition and a bad back) and for me as we still did not have a wheel chair. After one hour someone from the port appeared with a wheel chair. What a relief to sit down. It took 4 more hours before we boarded the ship. We really felt the Port of Miami should have supplied water to the waiting passengers as well as making some kind of announcement about what was happening. We never were able to get someone from MSC to help push the wheel chair aboard the ship and my husband had to rely on the help of other cruisers to push me aboard. Port of Miami really dropped the ball on this potential disaster and should have handled it better, PA announcements should have been made and a more orderly boarding occur where the people waiting the longest should have been boarding first as well as those who were handicapped or diabetic. Fire Rescue(EMS) had to be called because one of our friends blood pressure rose so high she became faint and almost missed going on the cruise.

 

Finally at 5PM we made our way to our balcony cabin and headed to the buffet for a long awaited lunch. We found both the cabin and the ship to be elegant. The ship was so smooth we never noticed when we left the port. We had a Meet and Greet Party for our Cruise Critic Group which I had arranged for the first sea day. We were pleased that the Captain Scala, as well as the Cruise Director Andre and the Events Coordinator R. Torres attended. It was held in the Silver Lounge which was just beautiful. We were told about what had occurred the previous day and heard the whole story which the rest of the passengers had never heard. Part of the problem was about 4000 passengers from Brazil had to disembark that morning and customs officials had decided it was necessary to finger print and photograph all 4000 of them before being allowed off the ship. Then the ship was being refueled and somehow the fumes were sucked into the Port of Miami building causing the evacuation. MSC wanted to send food and water out to the passengers waiting to board but customs officials would not allow this to occur. They needed the building evacuated for the safety of the passengers. It would have been nice if the awaiting passengers were told not to smoke during this crisis to prevent another problem. Can you believe there were passengers smoking even though there was a strong smell of gas. Also, the police and port staff who were very visible should have been enforcing a NON SMOKING situation.

 

The entertainment aboard was excellent. Every night there was another show in the theater that was fantastic. The shows were on par with ones you would see in Las Vegas for over $100 a ticket. The Michael Jackson Tribute, The Simply Italian Show and The Witches of Paris are not to be missed. The entertainment team aboard helped to create laughs prior to showtime If you did not want to go to the theater there were many other areas that had music or even a movie outside under the stars. At 10:30PM back in the Black and White Lounge the entertainment team continued their funny antics with the Little Italy Party. The entertainment team is also responsible for arts and crafts as well as trivia. We loved the trivia games which were held at least twice a day. They had really nice prizes for the winners unlike some other cruise lines who have really cut corners. Makes no sense for the cruise lines not to take advantage of getting free publicity by giving out prizes with their logo on it that passengers will continue to wear once off the ship. The only problem we had with the entertainment area was the timeliness of the personnel arriving to start the trivia games.

 

Next on the agenda is the dining room. We were fortunate enough to know the restaurant manager from a previous MSC Cruise and he gave us a beautifully located table, close to a window. We had first seating which we prefer and a waiter and an assistant waiter who gave us the best service we have ever had in our history of cruising(over 60 cruises). Their names were Sugiana and Andy from Indonesia. They must have been hand picked my Mauricio(restaurant manager). They remembered everything we liked and always had it on our table before we arrived. They smiled as they performed their duties. Very friendly and easy to understand. The food was excellent. I got to try dishes I had never had before and almost every night I would tell the waiter to tell the chef how wonderful the food was. On the second formal night our waiter served us lobster tail and without even asking he gave each of us a double portion of lobster. It was so tender and delicious. Best of all was the parade of waiters carrying flaming Baked Alaska. It was the best Baked Alaska I have ever had. Instead of the traditional vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream filling it had pistachio and coffee ice cream. The only improvement that I might suggest is their coffee. Not very good. I suggest having hot tea. I would avoid the buffet. The buffet food that should be hot was always luke warm. About the only thing I would recommend is the pizza if you got it right after it came out of the oven. They do not have a made to order omelet station. We never took advantage of the room service menu because breakfast only included cold continental breakfast. So we skipped breakfast and had brunch instead.

 

Now to the pools. Never really got to try the pool since it was very crowded on sea days. On days when we were in port my husband went into the pool and said it was very nice, warm and was filled with salt water. However, entry for me with my bad back was not possible. They did not have chairs to lower the handicapped into a pool. In fact I found the ship was not really designed to handle the handicapped. In the theater there is only one row of seats that a handicapped person can access. The seats should have been arranged so the wheel chairs could fit beside each seat. Very difficult to get in and out. Need ramps on both sides of theater for front row access. Steps make i impossible to reach any other row but the last row of seats. In the public bathrooms for the handicapped there were no alarm buttons or phones for a person to call for help if something happened while in the bathroom to ask for assistance. Even if they had a phone in the bathroom it would not have helped because whenever you would call Guest Services for any problem the phone would ring and ring until finally you got a recording telling you that" everyone was busy but your call is very important and someone would be with you shortly" which would soon follow by the line going dead.

 

The elevators on the ship were beautiful but relatively small. It would be helpful if, inside the elevator, there was a list of what was located on each floor. It was really nice that the elevator banks were linked together so you only needed to press one button to summon any of the elevators in that bank. You had to be fast to grab an elevator because the elevators close very quickly.

 

Our cabin steward, Donna, was excellent. Our room was always made up quickly. Whenever we needed anything she took care of it. The bed was large and very comfortable. The bathroom in our handicapped cabin was huge and the shower was powerful. Flushing the toilet was an art but we finally adapted to the light touch that was required. The balcony was very nice. The only suggestion I have is that 2 chaise lounges would be nicer that upright chairs. They have a nice remote control TV with a sleep timer. Also the TV is interactive so you can see the daily program on the TV as well as your bill. The TV guide in the room was of no help because the channels did not match what was on the screen. You could either see news or sports and maybe a movie. I am a very light sleeper and am not sure why the ship found it necessary to have music in the corridors at night time that was so loud it came into our cabin and kept me awake. I finally called to complain about it when the music that was playing was stuck playing the same notes over and over again. They did nothing to fix it so I took a sleeping pill. Same thing happened the next 2 nights. I complained again and finally on the last night they turned it off but immediately turned it back on at 6 AM. Time to go home. You must vacate your cabin by 7 AM. Breakfast in the main dining room was good. I had the most delicious warm chocolate chip muffin. It's a shame I'm not a morning person or I would have had breakfast in the main dining room too every day. Their chocolate croissants are also delicious. Debarkation went really well. We met in the Silver lounge. Someone was there to push me in a wheel chair all the way down to our luggage. They helped find and lift the luggage. Then the porter from the Port of Miami took over and carried our luggage through the VIP line. That was the best thing about being handicapped was having my own line and someone attending to the handicapped to get them out quickly unlike our embarkation where the wheel chair assistance line was unmanned and the last line in the room.

 

The survey form MSC gives you the last night of the cruise needs adequate space for recognition of all the staff who made the cruise special.

 

Overall we enjoyed our time on the Divina and would recommend it .

 

Marsha

[CeleBrat]

Of course I remember you, lorenzod! It's so strange to think that you were in my hometown recently. Sorry to hear you landed in the hospital--compression fracture? YIKES! Hope you heal soon!

 

Thanks for sharing your review. DH and I are looking forward to our kid-free cruise in a few weeks. We NEVER get to travel by ourselves! And, I remember the MSC cabins being very small, which is another reason we are leaving the kids behind.

 

CeleBrat

[Danbee46]

I would go through the worst website ever if the end result was a stay in the Yacht Club.

[cruise pup]

Their website is not a reflection of how they operate a cruise line. If you think it is then you are really best canceling your booking and sailing elsewhere because it sounds like you are looking for trouble and won't be happy no matter what.

 

Because seriously...you've come onto a online message board pronouncing that you are fed up with MSC and that they are the worst at operating a cruise line over a relatively small issue with the website. Doesn't that sound a little over dramatic to you?

 

If you can't handle this then I suggest you take it as a sign that your money is better spent elsewhere - and save both us and yourself the inevitable annoyance of all the niggly little things that you can't handle on the cruise that will culminate to make it THE WORST CRUISE EVAH!!!!

 

Just my 2 cents worth as a non MSC Gestapo.

 

You know, lashing out as I may have, at a corporation is one thing. To lash out at individuals is another. It shows a true want of sensitivity.

[JSnow789]

Even the worst day at sea is better than the best day at work!

[RMS Olympic]

The only thing I cant understand is why the website has not been modified/improved. IF......MSC wants to grow their business, customer interaction is extremely important. The issues with the website are well documented here on Cruise Critic, and I have seen that MSC does read this website so they know there is a problem. I personally have experienced problems on their website and called customer service for help. On average I have waited 20 to 40 minutes for someone to pick up the call adding to my frustration. Once connected my issues were addressed I may add. When I asked when the web site would be made more user friendly, I was told there was nothing wrong with it. So I am stumped that MSC USA personnel have allowed issues to continue.

Will I let this impact my Divina cruise next month, no. But I must admit the thought of difficulties dealing with bookings has me considering other cruise lines for a European cruise next year. Customer service can impact expectations.......which can impact reputations....perceptions can become realities and does not help build a customer base.

I will have a divine time on Divina.......this ain't my first rodeo...but MSC , get a new IT department.

[jkgourmet]

As I've said before, Celebrity's site is just as bad, maybe worse. They've been"working on it" for years.

[The_Big_M]

To lash out at individuals is another. It shows a true want of sensitivity.

 

You mean like your calling anyone who disagrees with you an MSC Gestapo?

[riclop]

Happy 20th anniversary. I am attaching a copy of our review of the MSC Divina so you can use it as a guide for your upcoming cruise. Your reviews have always been so interesting and well written, just wanted to return the favor. Are your kids going with you? Hope your adorable family is well. We were recently in Celebration for a convention and had a mishap that landed me in the Celebration Hospital for 3 days. You have one great hospital there. It was better than staying in a 4 Star hotel. I hope you have a great cruise. We enjoyed meeting you on the MSC Orchestra.

 

Smooth Sailing on the most beautiful ship ever

 

We had a very enjoyable cruise on the MSC Divina despite a very difficult embarkation. We had been told by MSC that we could board the ship at noon so we arrived at the port of Miami at 11 AM. We had requested a wheel chair and someone to assist us boarding when we booked the cruise since I had recently suffered a compression fracture of my back. Unfortunately when we asked where to get the wheel chair they told us to go to the second floor. We took the elevator up only to find the building was being evacuated and we had to go back outside. No one knew what was going on and we finally heard that there was a gas leak and we were told to walk to the next building. That building was locked and no one around to tell us what to do. It was very hot outside that day and the walk was difficult for my husband(who has a heart condition and a bad back) and for me as we still did not have a wheel chair. After one hour someone from the port appeared with a wheel chair. What a relief to sit down. It took 4 more hours before we boarded the ship. We really felt the Port of Miami should have supplied water to the waiting passengers as well as making some kind of announcement about what was happening. We never were able to get someone from MSC to help push the wheel chair aboard the ship and my husband had to rely on the help of other cruisers to push me aboard. Port of Miami really dropped the ball on this potential disaster and should have handled it better, PA announcements should have been made and a more orderly boarding occur where the people waiting the longest should have been boarding first as well as those who were handicapped or diabetic. Fire Rescue(EMS) had to be called because one of our friends blood pressure rose so high she became faint and almost missed going on the cruise.

 

Finally at 5PM we made our way to our balcony cabin and headed to the buffet for a long awaited lunch. We found both the cabin and the ship to be elegant. The ship was so smooth we never noticed when we left the port. We had a Meet and Greet Party for our Cruise Critic Group which I had arranged for the first sea day. We were pleased that the Captain Scala, as well as the Cruise Director Andre and the Events Coordinator R. Torres attended. It was held in the Silver Lounge which was just beautiful. We were told about what had occurred the previous day and heard the whole story which the rest of the passengers had never heard. Part of the problem was about 4000 passengers from Brazil had to disembark that morning and customs officials had decided it was necessary to finger print and photograph all 4000 of them before being allowed off the ship. Then the ship was being refueled and somehow the fumes were sucked into the Port of Miami building causing the evacuation. MSC wanted to send food and water out to the passengers waiting to board but customs officials would not allow this to occur. They needed the building evacuated for the safety of the passengers. It would have been nice if the awaiting passengers were told not to smoke during this crisis to prevent another problem. Can you believe there were passengers smoking even though there was a strong smell of gas. Also, the police and port staff who were very visible should have been enforcing a NON SMOKING situation.

 

The entertainment aboard was excellent. Every night there was another show in the theater that was fantastic. The shows were on par with ones you would see in Las Vegas for over $100 a ticket. The Michael Jackson Tribute, The Simply Italian Show and The Witches of Paris are not to be missed. The entertainment team aboard helped to create laughs prior to showtime If you did not want to go to the theater there were many other areas that had music or even a movie outside under the stars. At 10:30PM back in the Black and White Lounge the entertainment team continued their funny antics with the Little Italy Party. The entertainment team is also responsible for arts and crafts as well as trivia. We loved the trivia games which were held at least twice a day. They had really nice prizes for the winners unlike some other cruise lines who have really cut corners. Makes no sense for the cruise lines not to take advantage of getting free publicity by giving out prizes with their logo on it that passengers will continue to wear once off the ship. The only problem we had with the entertainment area was the timeliness of the personnel arriving to start the trivia games.

 

Next on the agenda is the dining room. We were fortunate enough to know the restaurant manager from a previous MSC Cruise and he gave us a beautifully located table, close to a window. We had first seating which we prefer and a waiter and an assistant waiter who gave us the best service we have ever had in our history of cruising(over 60 cruises). Their names were Sugiana and Andy from Indonesia. They must have been hand picked my Mauricio(restaurant manager). They remembered everything we liked and always had it on our table before we arrived. They smiled as they performed their duties. Very friendly and easy to understand. The food was excellent. I got to try dishes I had never had before and almost every night I would tell the waiter to tell the chef how wonderful the food was. On the second formal night our waiter served us lobster tail and without even asking he gave each of us a double portion of lobster. It was so tender and delicious. Best of all was the parade of waiters carrying flaming Baked Alaska. It was the best Baked Alaska I have ever had. Instead of the traditional vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream filling it had pistachio and coffee ice cream. The only improvement that I might suggest is their coffee. Not very good. I suggest having hot tea. I would avoid the buffet. The buffet food that should be hot was always luke warm. About the only thing I would recommend is the pizza if you got it right after it came out of the oven. They do not have a made to order omelet station. We never took advantage of the room service menu because breakfast only included cold continental breakfast. So we skipped breakfast and had brunch instead.

 

Now to the pools. Never really got to try the pool since it was very crowded on sea days. On days when we were in port my husband went into the pool and said it was very nice, warm and was filled with salt water. However, entry for me with my bad back was not possible. They did not have chairs to lower the handicapped into a pool. In fact I found the ship was not really designed to handle the handicapped. In the theater there is only one row of seats that a handicapped person can access. The seats should have been arranged so the wheel chairs could fit beside each seat. Very difficult to get in and out. Need ramps on both sides of theater for front row access. Steps make i impossible to reach any other row but the last row of seats. In the public bathrooms for the handicapped there were no alarm buttons or phones for a person to call for help if something happened while in the bathroom to ask for assistance. Even if they had a phone in the bathroom it would not have helped because whenever you would call Guest Services for any problem the phone would ring and ring until finally you got a recording telling you that" everyone was busy but your call is very important and someone would be with you shortly" which would soon follow by the line going dead.

 

The elevators on the ship were beautiful but relatively small. It would be helpful if, inside the elevator, there was a list of what was located on each floor. It was really nice that the elevator banks were linked together so you only needed to press one button to summon any of the elevators in that bank. You had to be fast to grab an elevator because the elevators close very quickly.

 

Our cabin steward, Donna, was excellent. Our room was always made up quickly. Whenever we needed anything she took care of it. The bed was large and very comfortable. The bathroom in our handicapped cabin was huge and the shower was powerful. Flushing the toilet was an art but we finally adapted to the light touch that was required. The balcony was very nice. The only suggestion I have is that 2 chaise lounges would be nicer that upright chairs. They have a nice remote control TV with a sleep timer. Also the TV is interactive so you can see the daily program on the TV as well as your bill. The TV guide in the room was of no help because the channels did not match what was on the screen. You could either see news or sports and maybe a movie. I am a very light sleeper and am not sure why the ship found it necessary to have music in the corridors at night time that was so loud it came into our cabin and kept me awake. I finally called to complain about it when the music that was playing was stuck playing the same notes over and over again. They did nothing to fix it so I took a sleeping pill. Same thing happened the next 2 nights. I complained again and finally on the last night they turned it off but immediately turned it back on at 6 AM. Time to go home. You must vacate your cabin by 7 AM. Breakfast in the main dining room was good. I had the most delicious warm chocolate chip muffin. It's a shame I'm not a morning person or I would have had breakfast in the main dining room too every day. Their chocolate croissants are also delicious. Debarkation went really well. We met in the Silver lounge. Someone was there to push me in a wheel chair all the way down to our luggage. They helped find and lift the luggage. Then the porter from the Port of Miami took over and carried our luggage through the VIP line. That was the best thing about being handicapped was having my own line and someone attending to the handicapped to get them out quickly unlike our embarkation where the wheel chair assistance line was unmanned and the last line in the room.

 

The survey form MSC gives you the last night of the cruise needs adequate space for recognition of all the staff who made the cruise special.

 

Overall we enjoyed our time on the Divina and would recommend it .

 

Marsha

 

Thanks for your detailed review.

[Beamafar]

You mean like your calling anyone who disagrees with you an MSC Gestapo?

 

My sentiments exactly. I felt it set an unfortunate tone for a opening post.