Problems booking Seaside in category SE3 - Aurea Grand Suite

[Tall-Cruiser]

Why is it that still the major MSC sites and sales offices don't have the same information out to the general public. Why aren't they talking to each other or something. Why is it a big secrete about some of these cabin layouts or floor plans (e.g. GS and Aft Suites). Most other cruise lines give you a description and the rendering of the cabin you booked. When we booked our side GS the MSC agent told me it was 1br/1bath. I was ok with that and booked based on the general measurements that were out at the time and thinking at that size it will be a nice suite. With 5 months to go until our sailing I still have no idea what the inside on my cabin looks like. Now compare that to Celebrity Edge, almost all the cabin layouts and renderings have been published and the first sailing is December 2018.

For those of you that are Travel Agents here, may be able to exert some pressure on MSC to release more information about these cabins that is in syncs across the globe. And for those of us who are not TAs we can do our part and call to demand answers. Power in numbers maybe?

[sidari]

And for those of us who are not TAs we can do our part and call to demand answers. Power in numbers maybe?

 

 

TC .... Been there and done that with the UK office already, the answer was that they did not receive the Meraviglia info until Two weeks prior to sailing ... :eek:

 

What I do not get is why everything is so secret with these people! Pathetic.

[Beamafar]

..................they did not receive the Meraviglia info until Two weeks prior to sailing ... :eek:

 

Dave .............. they were still making things up when we were on Meraviglia, 12 days after she first sailed!

[sidari]

Hi Bea ... I am not surprised at all, the USA website Deck plan shows 20 Decks while the UK site still shows 18!

 

The wording for the cabins is all over the show between the two sites, I mean how hard can it be to have the same information ? MSC are fast becoming a joke.

[Beamafar]

I don't envy the poor crew who are going to have to take the flak! A lot of the ones we were talking to on Meraviglia are expecting to be assigned to Seaside for her first outings. They are not relishing it - especially as they'll be coming straight from having to deal with similar grief beforehand. That sort of stress can't be good for anyone's health. Coupled with a noticeable cut-back in staff onboard which leads to poor service and more complaints.

 

I don't think there was as much lack of information about cabin types on Meraviglia, though, as there is about these GS and aft cabins on Seaside. Whatever MSC thinks they're going to get away with in the Med they are not going to get away with it Stateside. It'll be a PR nightmare if they don't get their act together.

[Proseccoandsun]

Problem is, this family of 5 (as well as many others) won't fit in that configuration....I have a 5'8" 16 year old girl, a 6 ft 16 year old step-son, and a growing 12 year old son - you figure out who's sleeping with whom and it doesn't work in any combination. The answer is - they need 3 separate beds. A sofa bed isn't going to cut it, especially not a double sofa bed. That's not a vacation - that's like camping which isn't what I've paid for. And to have 5 of us in a single room? No thank you. Tell me now and we'll rebook or make other arrangements. That's my biggest problem...if they tell us now we can possibly work around it or they can help us to make it work while there are balcony cabins still available. Put everyone on a sold out cruise - and you're going to hear me from every port all the way to Miami!

 

I understand it's still being built, but don't tell me it's not on the master plan. SOMEONE knows.

 

Yes of course. (y)

 

And that is going to be their get out when a family of 5 show up in a side GS. One double bed, 2 sofa beds and a pullman, there you go folks, enjoy.

 

I see now the UK site doesn't say the GS is a 1 or 2 bedroom, it just says there is a double bed.

 

The US site says there is a separate sitting area.

[Proseccoandsun]

We also have 9001 on one cruise and 13001 on another with the assumption that they are both 2/2. May I ask why you changed to 2 Aurea balconies? And what was the price difference? Did someone confirm for you that 9001 is not 2/2? What compensation was given? If I have to change it, they should give the same price as the original booking, I would think.

Hopefully, this stateroom is still 2&2. We originally booked a GS and had to change to 2 aura balconies because the info was incorrect. We were told we would be compensated for the inconvenience. Still waiting.

[Proseccoandsun]

May I ask why you changed - did someone confirm to you it was not a 2/2 or you did it out of concern? If we have to make other arrangements I'd rather do it now and not onboard a sold out cruise. But I would hope they'd honor the booked price for any changes that have to be made...

 

Hopefully, this stateroom is still 2&2. We originally booked a GS and had to change to 2 aura balconies because the info was incorrect. We were told we would be compensated for the inconvenience. Still waiting.

[sidari]

The issue appears to be micro managing by certain people in the MSC group, why just 5 months from sailing do people not know what their cabins are expected to look like, why is it a big secret as to what certain cabins will look like.

 

Why are they even now drip feeding miniscule information out to customers booked and those looking to book, why are the Websites not singing from the same hymn sheet ?

 

There appears to be no one willing and no one allowed to get the information out.

 

As Bea has said this will bite them hard if they do not get their act together and very soon.

[Two Wheels Only]

Problem is, this family of 5 (as well as many others) won't fit in that configuration....I have a 5'8" 16 year old girl, a 6 ft 16 year old step-son, and a growing 12 year old son - you figure out who's sleeping with whom and it doesn't work in any combination. The answer is - they need 3 separate beds. A sofa bed isn't going to cut it, especially not a double sofa bed. .

 

It's possible that the "double sofa bed" is like this....

 

 

...where they would each have a bed if using a pullman from the ceiling. I've seen a picture with both beds made as beds with railing but can't find it.

 

I don't know if the GS will have this but Seaside will have this somewhere.

[Proseccoandsun]

Thank you, and while this would certainly be better, I still wouldn't pay top dollar for the 5 of us to be in 1 room. There's no privacy or space for anyone. I really have a feeling we'll be canceling both of our bookings by the time we find out. That's so disappointing. But 2 bedrooms gives us a little space, privacy, 2 bathrooms to get ready in, and the ability to sleep/wake up at different times - what a luxury! Lol. I would't book us in 1 bedroom on any trip.

 

It's possible that the "double sofa bed" is like this....

 

 

...where they would each have a bed if using a pullman from the ceiling. I've seen a picture with both beds made as beds with railing but can't find it.

 

I don't know if the GS will have this but Seaside will have this somewhere.

[Até]

... I've seen a picture with both beds made as beds with railing but can't find it.

 

Was it this double sofa bed from Meraviglia? MSC seems to use the diamond symbol to indicate these, so that is what I expect in the four person side GS. The five person center GS are using different symbols, all use the same (9001 has a different order) symbols. I'm not sure what a 3rd and 4th pullman will look like, but it doesn't sound comfortable. I think MSC initially listed all of them this way because they wanted to indicate the beds in the second bedroom cannot be put together and are basically single or twin beds. Now that half of the center GS seem to have lost the second bedroom, who knows how the beds will be arranged.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53328685#post53328685

[Two Wheels Only]

Was it this double sofa bed from Meraviglia?

No, the one I saw was a different color and had the sheets/blankets but that picture works, too.

 

.. who knows how the beds will be arranged

 

In another thread, someone mentioned that there could be 2 pullmans in certain staterooms. I have no idea if that is true.

[Spunky1968]

I don't envy the poor crew who are going to have to take the flak! A lot of the ones we were talking to on Meraviglia are expecting to be assigned to Seaside for her first outings. They are not relishing it - especially as they'll be coming straight from having to deal with similar grief beforehand. That sort of stress can't be good for anyone's health. Coupled with a noticeable cut-back in staff onboard which leads to poor service and more complaints.

 

I don't think there was as much lack of information about cabin types on Meraviglia, though, as there is about these GS and aft cabins on Seaside. Whatever MSC thinks they're going to get away with in the Med they are not going to get away with it Stateside. It'll be a PR nightmare if they don't get their act together.

just breathe. Take everything in stride. Your on vacation. Let your travel agent make all the arrangements. Of u need to micro manage every detail do a disney cruise

[Spunky1968]

Thank you, and while this would certainly be better, I still wouldn't pay top dollar for the 5 of us to be in 1 room. There's no privacy or space for anyone. I really have a feeling we'll be canceling both of our bookings by the time we find out. That's so disappointing. But 2 bedrooms gives us a little space, privacy, 2 bathrooms to get ready in, and the ability to sleep/wake up at different times - what a luxury! Lol. I would't book us in 1 bedroom on any trip.

. Sorry 😐 had to laugh at top dollar. Have done ✅ 7 disney cruises and getting a one bedroom aurea grand suite with my family and includes drinks still cheaper then my December dcl cruise.

[Proseccoandsun]

Must be nice. Enjoy. I guess it's all about what you're willing/able to spend on vacation. I understand how hard it is to find accommodations for 5 on a ship for under 8-10 grand. MSC offers a very reasonable price and I thought I found a great deal on a 2 br/2bath that would work for our family - but any time I spend $5,000 plus airfare, excursions, etc...it isn't chump change to us.

 

. Sorry 😐 had to laugh at top dollar. Have done ✅ 7 disney cruises and getting a one bedroom aurea grand suite with my family and includes drinks still cheaper then my December dcl cruise.

[Até]

. Sorry 😐 had to laugh at top dollar.

 

Disney is budget when you look at Regent, Azamara an Paul.... To each his own measure.

[Até]

In another thread, someone mentioned that there could be 2 pullmans in certain staterooms. I have no idea if that is true.

 

Link to thread? I could see two pullmans in an ocean view or inside, that's common enough. I have no idea how they can pull that off in the living area of a suite, plus a sofa bed.

[Two Wheels Only]

Link to thread? I could see two pullmans in an ocean view or inside, that's common enough. I have no idea how they can pull that off in the living area of a suite, plus a sofa bed.

 

Found It

 

It was related to the Yacht Club, not the GS. Unfortunately, it seems that the poster was given incorrect information. 18035 is listed as having a double sofa-bed, not 2 pullmans on the current deck-plan. On an old deck-plan, 18035 doesn't have any symbol at all.

[Two Wheels Only]

Thinking about it some more, I think that the center GS that don't have the 2nd br will have either 2 pullmans and a single sofa-bed (as shown on the deck-plan) or the double sofa-bed and 1 pullman.

[Até]

Thinking about it some more, I think that the center GS that don't have the 2nd br will have either 2 pullmans and a single sofa-bed (as shown on the deck-plan) or the double sofa-bed and 1 pullman.

 

They may be fine for kids with either possible layout, but neither are acceptable to me with four adults. I wasn't too thrilled with the non-combinable bedroom #2, that is what started my concern in the first place. For me it's back to two separate cabins as the 2br GS are now nearly impossible to find. Maybe another time just for two... that would be okay, just not deck 14 corners - yuck.

[Beamafar]

just breathe. Take everything in stride. Your on vacation. Let your travel agent make all the arrangements. Of u need to micro manage every detail do a disney cruise

 

I don't have skin in the game so there's no stressin' here on my part. I'm feelin' for the crew who are being hung out to dry by HQ.

[sidari]

Bea ... I agree, they will be the ones who will be face to face with disgruntled passengers and will not be able to do or change anything.

[Spunky1968]

Must be nice. Enjoy. I guess it's all about what you're willing/able to spend on vacation. I understand how hard it is to find accommodations for 5 on a ship for under 8-10 grand. MSC offers a very reasonable price and I thought I found a great deal on a 2 br/2bath that would work for our family - but any time I spend $5,000 plus airfare, excursions, etc...it isn't chump change to us.

For you to accommodate your family on DCLwpuld be over $10k. I think msc is an exceptional value

[Spunky1968]

They may be fine for kids with either possible layout, but neither are acceptable to me with four adults. I wasn't too thrilled with the non-combinable bedroom #2, that is what started my concern in the first place. For me it's back to two separate cabins as the 2br GS are now nearly impossible to find. Maybe another time just for two... that would be okay, just not deck 14 corners - yuck.

Perhaps the adjoins family rooms?