MSC Website Excursions Question

[chatnoir0418]

I am part of a group of four (two rooms) sailing on Musica out of Venice on September 19. I'm having issues with the MSC website (not a big surprise after seeing other posts). I booked six different excursions on Monday and my credit card was charged $996. On Tuesday, one of the excursions was grayed out and my account showed a -$118 rebate. By Wednesday, all the excursions were gray.

 

I called this morning and was told that all the excursions were cancelled (somehow!) and customer service rebooked them. I had to pay for the one that I received a rebate for. I checked my credit card and they still owe me the original $118 rebate.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience with cancelled excursions and getting rebates that are due from MSC? I'm terrified that I'll get to Italy and I'll be signed up for nothing.

 

I've never experienced a website like this and will only deal with CS from now on. This also happened to my parents who are staying in the other room.

[AmoMondo]

I am part of a group of four (two rooms) sailing on Musica out of Venice on September 19. I'm having issues with the MSC website (not a big surprise after seeing other posts). I booked six different excursions on Monday and my credit card was charged $996. On Tuesday, one of the excursions was grayed out and my account showed a -$118 rebate. By Wednesday, all the excursions were gray.

 

I called this morning and was told that all the excursions were cancelled (somehow!) and customer service rebooked them. I had to pay for the one that I received a rebate for. I checked my credit card and they still owe me the original $118 rebate.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience with cancelled excursions and getting rebates that are due from MSC? I'm terrified that I'll get to Italy and I'll be signed up for nothing.

 

I've never experienced a website like this and will only deal with CS from now on. This also happened to my parents who are staying in the other room.

 

Haven't experienced what you're talking about as I've never prebooked an excursion, and have only rarely booked them onboard. The website has many glitches, so likely down to that.

 

However (and I suspect you won't want to hear this after saying you're terrified you're going to get to Italy and not be signed up for any tours), the real risk is the tours don't go ahead. Not being prebooked isn't an issue, there will inevitably be available to book onboard. Vast majority of passengers will be Italian and they don't book much in advance. You'll see people booking at the tour desk onboard whenever it is open.

 

So you want to be booked on 6 tours and even if your bookings are a paid for and confirmed, there is absolutely no guarantee the tour will run. It is not unusual for some tours in English to be cancelled at very short notice because not enough English speaking passengers have booked on it for it to reach the minimum number for it to run. In this situation, one of three things is likely to happen:

1. Tour cancelled and you get refunded to your onboard account in euros (which may not equate to what you paid in dollars depending on the exchange rates at the time)

2. They offer to swap you to another tour

3. They combine the tour you booked with the same tour in another language provided the guide is multi lingual, and it will operate in 2 languages.

 

I always DIY going ashore now, but have heard table mates talking of cancelled tours on almost every med cruise I've done. I've been on cruises where the total number of Emglish speaking passengers was less than 50. Factor in to the equation, people like me who don't do tours and then those that book private tours and you may be down to around half that number. Say there are 4 tours available, it is then easy to see how one might get only a couple of people booking, some none at all. Even if English speakers are up to a few hundred, it still can mean that not all tours will run. It would be rare to have a lot more than this on a ship the Musica's size sailing from Venice.

 

Once you sort out what has gone wrong with your bookings, you may want to research possible plan Bs for the various ports as a contingency. I'd be surprised if at least one wasn't cancelled.

[GOLDENBONNY]

I am part of a group of four (two rooms) sailing on Musica out of Venice on September 19. I'm having issues with the MSC website (not a big surprise after seeing other posts). I booked six different excursions on Monday and my credit card was charged $996. On Tuesday, one of the excursions was grayed out and my account showed a -$118 rebate. By Wednesday, all the excursions were gray.

 

I called this morning and was told that all the excursions were cancelled (somehow!) and customer service rebooked them. I had to pay for the one that I received a rebate for. I checked my credit card and they still owe me the original $118 rebate.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience with cancelled excursions and getting rebates that are due from MSC? I'm terrified that I'll get to Italy and I'll be signed up for nothing.

 

I've never experienced a website like this and will only deal with CS from now on. This also happened to my parents who are staying in the other room.

 

Since when they charge for excursions right away if you book on web? Something new?

[tomvet]

Totally agree with AmoMondo - on both my previous MSC cruises - English speaking tours have been cancelled due to lack of interest!

 

Figure out some plan Bs! Better still only book plan Bs.

 

I begrudge every penny anyone pays MSC!

[tomvet]

Since when they charge for excursions right away if you book on web? Something new?

 

Relatively new! You can cancel up to 4 days before departure for a refund.

 

Issue is that if you now have OBC and you book online and pay by Cr Cd, you cannot put your OBC towards their cost!

 

So a clever way to increase your spend!

[GOLDENBONNY]

Relatively new! You can cancel up to 4 days before departure for a refund.

 

Issue is that if you now have OBC and you book online and pay by Cr Cd, you cannot put your OBC towards their cost!

 

So a clever way to increase your spend!

 

No one can increase my spend but me. I guess MSC did what other cruise lines do for long time :rolleyes: .

[chatnoir0418]

Thanks for all your comments. I've cruised other times and I knew there was a chance for cancellation but I had no idea that this is more common on MSC.

[AmoMondo]

Thanks for all your comments. I've cruised other times and I knew there was a chance for cancellation but I had no idea that this is more common on MSC.

 

Only for English speaking tours in Europe. If you can speak another language, ten consider booking them as there is a higher probability they'll go ahead.

 

Better still, do what TomVet advises and make your own arrangements.

[tomvet]

No one can increase my spend but me. I guess MSC did what other cruise lines do for long time :rolleyes: .

 

That is the cleverness of the idea! You don't realise you are paying more money!

[GOLDENBONNY]

That is the cleverness of the idea! You don't realise you are paying more money!

 

I am in accounting I always realize how much I pay. If I want to use my OBC I just wait till I am on board ,if I want to book before I pay before.