MSC UK 'sale' - "regional" customers may fly from London

[Skipper Tim]

After a very long time indeed, I recieved a marketing email from MSC this morning.

 

7-night cruises start from £449 per person and include flights with British Airways from London and overseas transfers. Plus, why not spoil yourself and upgrade to a balcony for as little as £200 per person.

 

For regional customers, MSC Cruises is offering flights to Gatwick plus an overnight airport hotel stay, or the chance to add car parking and a one-night hotel stay from £49pp.

 

It reminds me of the Spike Milligan sketch as a news reader. When he reaches the end of the ridiculous news items he says, "and here is the news again for the hard of hearing". He promptly gets out a megaphone and starts shouting at the viewer.

 

Besides the condescending language - "regional", so if we don't live in London we are 'regional'? - the fact that they dare to 'offer' a very poor hotel deal to "regional customers" to enable them to fly from London is downright ignorant and insulting. There are many other airports in the UK with direct flights to MSC embarkation points!

 

This is the principal reason why I never want to book a cruise with a flight included - that the organiser has far less idea about my travel preferences than I do and will never do as good a job at satisfying me.

 

Besides being on the 'wrong side' of London and therefore a pain to get to from most of the UK, Gatwick is a huge, disgusting airport with appalling levels of comfort and I simply don't want to go there as part of my holiday. I have a perfectly good airport less than an hour from my door and I have points, Avios etc. to use in order to obtain lounge access and travel in luxury and style.

 

MSC, thank you so much for giving the chance to people from the regions to fly from London. However, I would prefer it if you took the flight cost out of the fare, let your "customers" arrange their own travel exactly how they like and stop being so restrictive, condescending and patronising!

 

1) London is also a region.

2) Gatwick is disgusting and I don't want it as part of my holiday.

3) The UK has other airports.

4) I don't want MSC to make my travel arrangements.

5) Aeroplanes don't have balconies.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[AmoMondo]

Had a look at their so called sale prices and not much of a sale. Over £1100 for a balcony for a week in the gulf. With flight (not specified what but presumambly London also) £400 extra. That was all with black card discount and solo,supplement. Sailed 3 times with Costa in that region and never paid anything like it.

 

You are right about the flights too. If I'm going to Dubai, I want the direct Emirates flight from Glasgow. I don't want to faff about going down to Gateick and having an overnight in a hotel, never mind one not of my vhoosong. Few years ago they annonced they were doing more regional flights - whatever happened to that?

 

They must think we are daft saying things are sal price when they clearly aren't, at least not for solos.

[tartantiara]

We are cruising the Gulf in January with direct flights Emirates from Glasgow included in the price

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[anniegb]

After a very long time indeed, I recieved a marketing email from MSC this morning.

 

 

 

It reminds me of the Spike Milligan sketch as a news reader. When he reaches the end of the ridiculous news items he says, "and here is the news again for the hard of hearing". He promptly gets out a megaphone and starts shouting at the viewer.

 

Besides the condescending language - "regional", so if we don't live in London we are 'regional'? - the fact that they dare to 'offer' a very poor hotel deal to "regional customers" to enable them to fly from London is downright ignorant and insulting. There are many other airports in the UK with direct flights to MSC embarkation points!

 

This is the principal reason why I never want to book a cruise with a flight included - that the organiser has far less idea about my travel preferences than I do and will never do as good a job at satisfying me.

 

Besides being on the 'wrong side' of London and therefore a pain to get to from most of the UK, Gatwick is a huge, disgusting airport with appalling levels of comfort and I simply don't want to go there as part of my holiday. I have a perfectly good airport less than an hour from my door and I have points, Avios etc. to use in order to obtain lounge access and travel in luxury and style.

 

MSC, thank you so much for giving the chance to people from the regions to fly from London. However, I would prefer it if you took the flight cost out of the fare, let your "customers" arrange their own travel exactly how they like and stop being so restrictive, condescending and patronising!

 

1) London is also a region.

2) Gatwick is disgusting and I don't want it as part of my holiday.

3) The UK has other airports.

4) I don't want MSC to make my travel arrangements.

5) Aeroplanes don't have balconies.

 

GH said this was the road MSC would travel - no surprise to me.

 

Annie