MSC status match

[Jdcmia68]

Bag of laundry two free dinners with bottle of wine, concierge service (which we never use) and a happy hour or two.   Which used to be nice when you had to pay for your drinks. But now drinks and up charge restaurants are included now if you pick them.   But on ncl the 7 day cruises are 3 upcharge restaurants for “free”.  Plus the two dinners for platinum,  so there’s still at least one day in MDR, buffet, or pay.  Laundry sometimes is worth it.  Lol.  

[GOIN2C]

On 11/13/2018 at 3:03 PM, hamrag said:

They aren't inconsistent, you got what they apply for the status you presented. Diamond + on RCL will receive Black status!

I sent in application for status match.

I AM Diamond  Plus on RCCL and got Gold on MSC. Sorry, that sure sounds inconsistent to me. 

I was expecting Black.

also no price matching with MSC.  5 months out and if price falls, I was told too bad

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, GOIN2C said:

I sent in application for status match.

I AM Diamond  Plus on RCCL and got Gold on MSC. Sorry, that sure sounds inconsistent to me. 

I was expecting Black.

also no price matching with MSC.  5 months out and if price falls, I was told too bad

Yes, it has been reported in the past few days that it is not only the drinks packages MSC have downgraded! Apparenty since October the status matches have been downgraded, it seems, by one place i.e. previously black is now gold, previously gold now silver etc.

[GOIN2C]

I guess MSc is following in the footsteps of RCCL, Celebrity and Carnival with cutbacks. Maybe they should build a happy clientele before the cutbacks.

 

[sidari]

As one of those who earned a Black card I am happy to see MSC finally take action on their poorly thought out status match.

[MPJCH]

So I went on the Seaside in July, I’m a diamond on RCCL and I matched to a black status on MSC. We booked the Meraviglia out of New York for October, still a black status. I booked the Armonia for 2020 & they said I needed to reapply for the Status match, got an e-mail today an it said I match to a gold Status. I called and asked what I would match too, and the lady I talk to said I would match to a diamond, but I would have to call back Friday and talk to the loyalty club! That’s bad business is I have a cruise booked and I’ll be black status on it, but drop down to a gold on a future cruise! Not happy will MSC at all right now!!!!

[GOLDENBONNY]

14 hours ago, MPJCH said:

So I went on the Seaside in July, I’m a diamond on RCCL and I matched to a black status on MSC. We booked the Meraviglia out of New York for October, still a black status. I booked the Armonia for 2020 & they said I needed to reapply for the Status match, got an e-mail today an it said I match to a gold Status. I called and asked what I would match too, and the lady I talk to said I would match to a diamond, but I would have to call back Friday and talk to the loyalty club! That’s bad business is I have a cruise booked and I’ll be black status on it, but drop down to a gold on a future cruise! Not happy will MSC at all right now!!!!

Now imagine how not happy all cruisers who earn this Black status on MSC and now instead of 20 people with Black status we have to board with 200 with same status. 

[GOLDENBONNY]

16 hours ago, sidari said:

As one of those who earned a Black card I am happy to see MSC finally take action on their poorly thought out status match.

Amen. We are making a jokes  at home , how  embarkation probably goes now when they call 3000 Black members on board ,and we don't even bother to go to Black members party  ,its a joke with so many people. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by GOLDENBONNY

[travelwide]

Can someone please clarify for me. If you take a cruise that extends your 3 years window which you must take another Cruise. I don't understand the poster who said they took a cruise in July which would push their 3  Year date to July 2021. and then they're taking one in Oct. 2019 which would push their three years to October of 2022.

and then the third Cruise they would revert back to Gold status??? Each Cruise you take moves your three-year window forward. Am I missing something? Or have the rules changed again?

[ziggyuk]

16 hours ago, MPJCH said:

So I went on the Seaside in July, I’m a diamond on RCCL and I matched to a black status on MSC. We booked the Meraviglia out of New York for October, still a black status. I booked the Armonia for 2020 & they said I needed to reapply for the Status match, got an e-mail today an it said I match to a gold Status. I called and asked what I would match too, and the lady I talk to said I would match to a diamond, but I would have to call back Friday and talk to the loyalty club! That’s bad business is I have a cruise booked and I’ll be black status on it, but drop down to a gold on a future cruise! Not happy will MSC at all right now!!!!

 

This makes no sense at all, who told you to re-apply for a status match?

Each time you cruise your black status is extended a further 3 years from disembarkation, your July sail alone would have extended black to July 2021?

I also understood a status match was a one time deal and you could not do a future status match.

 

I'm also not so sure you will be black on the Armonia, if your account now says gold I would assume you will sail gold.

Edited November 22, 2018 by ziggyuk

[MPJCH]

When I booked my Armonia last week I gave him the Black Card number I had that is on my profile for my October cruise, he said he couldn’t find anything. I gave him my husband black card number, same thing. Then he talked to his supervisor and he told me to reapply! It clearly says on the e-mail that after your matched they cannot change it! Well apparently they can, so I’m going to call Friday and if the status stays a gold we will probably cancel, I just feel like if my husband & I matched to black status for 2 Cruises you shouldn’t change the status! They are not following their own rules!

[MPJCH]

This is what the E-mail says! So if I’m a black status now I would think it wouldn’t change till 2021!

[ziggyuk]

57 minutes ago, MPJCH said:

so I’m going to call Friday and if the status stays a gold we will probably cancel, I just feel like if my husband & I matched to black status for 2 Cruises you shouldn’t change the status! They are not following their own rules!

 

Yes, call them for sure, that needs sorting out.

Did you register the black card on MSC's website against your profile, only a thought but I was wondering if unregistered cards could expire.

If you did register the card, do you know if it was showing in your account when you called them?

 

[MPJCH]

3 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

Yes, call them for sure, that needs sorting out.

Did you register the black card on MSC's website against your profile, only a thought but I was wondering if unregistered cards could expire.

If you did register the card, do you know if it was showing in your account when you called them?

 

When I go to the MCS & me app it has my status as Black for my cruise in October. When the lady I spoke too pulled up my reservation for the 2020 booking it had my status as gold!

[quickrate]

7 hours ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

Now imagine how not happy all cruisers who earn this Black status on MSC and now instead of 20 people with Black status we have to board with 200 with same status. 

I understand how you feel but, for MSC to use status match to gain new customers and then revoke the status on a future sailing is not a way to keep new customers! I'm taking my first MSC cruise in December and I'm having reservations about this cruiseline before I even step foot on the ship. with all this drink package upheaval and now the status match, I have to question how well run this company really is.

Pat

[lupinsmum]

On 11/21/2018 at 11:15 PM, sidari said:

As one of those who earned a Black card I am happy to see MSC finally take action on their poorly thought out status match.

I don’t understand why some MSC  cruisers are upset about the status match but please remember the cruisers given this Black status by MSC have earned this with another cruise line. If Celebrity were to offer this offer to other lines I wouldn’t have a problem with this. Why are you so bothered. To maintain your status you only have to sail once every three years as stated by MSC.  Competition is good for cruise lines and passengers. Of course if your not happy with MSC you could always try another cruise company.

 

[sidari]

That is the whole point you appear to be missing, you have not earned it you have been given it! you may have sailed with other cruise lines like many of us.

Ah the Old chestnut comes out again "Of course if your not happy with MSC you could always try another cruise company" Like Cunard, Costa, NCL, RCI and Princess with whom we have cruised you mean.

Edited November 24, 2018 by sidari

[Captain-John]

.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Captain-John

[Captain-John]

On 11/21/2018 at 11:15 PM, sidari said:

As one of those who earned a Black card I am happy to see MSC finally take action on their poorly thought out status match.

Completely understand where you're coming from in that you earned the status the hard way.

 

The only thing I'd say to that is that the actual benefit of holding a Black card has been watered down significantly from what it was (20% discount for a start!). So, I'd be more annoyed if people were being given Black status that had a significant tangible benefit such as that discount.

 

But I do 'get it' and I think you have a right to be upset about the whole revamp of the scheme.

[sidari]

CJ ... The 20% discount for existing Black card holders was the biggest kick in the nuts that MSC gave people and drove many loyal customers elsewhere, I can count on one hand those who are still here on these boards and who still sail with MSC. A large wealth of knowledge was lost to other cruisers both new and old. MSC went from having a loyalty club to having just another club where staff now sneer at Black cards having seen them dished out like confetti.

[Captain-John]

17 minutes ago, sidari said:

CJ ... The 20% discount for existing Black card holders was the biggest kick in the nuts that MSC gave people and drove many loyal customers elsewhere, I can count on one hand those who are still here on these boards and who still sail with MSC. A large wealth of knowledge was lost to other cruisers both new and old. MSC went from having a loyalty club to having just another club where staff now sneer at Black cards having seen them dished out like confetti.

 

Absolutely agree. And the trend for MSC is not looking good - 'nickel and diming' coming to Europe at lightening pace.

[toledo_cruiser]

The status match (only Gold for us) was not the main reason we are sailing MSC, but it was definitely an incentive. To be honest, I knew about MSC, but very little. The company is stepping up its advertising in the U.S. and generating some interest. This is why we have our first cruise booked for April. This is a trial run for us. As such, we'll have to cancel a previously booked Celebrity cruise during that time period.

 

I don't ever remember seeing a Costa commercial and have no plans to sail that line at this time, even though it's a Carnival Corp. line. No extra incentive to do so. I suspect it's just not heavily marketed to U.S. cruisers.  I don't know if MSC was experiencing any sales doldrums in the U.S. market, but at least the line is being talked about. Although lately, some of the conversation has been troubling.

 

It would be a shame if the MSC loyalists bolted. We newcomers to the line could use that expertise. Part of my cruising enjoyment is the researching and planning for the next cruise.

Jim

 

 

 

 

[WonderMan3]

On 11/20/2018 at 11:57 PM, WonderMan3 said:

 

I have been trying since September to get a status match done. Put it through the website two different times in late Sept/early Oct and waited the max 10 days response time each time with no follow up. Called in mid October and was told that they never received my requests and that I would know if it went through as I would get a confirmation email. So I tried again but got no confirmation email. Kept switching browsers to no avail. Left it for a few weeks as I noticed their website was having issues on and off. Sent it in again early last week with no confirmation again. Called them again and the rep created a Voyagers Club number for me and my spouse  while on the phone. She said I needed to respond to confirmation emails to activate them. Once that was done I was to email the status match documents directly to them. Never received the emails for the VC confirmation. Called back the next day and they had to put in an IT ticket for my accounts as I told them I had received no emails from MSC since booking in September not even a booking confirmation. Later that day I got an email from the rep saying our VC accounts were activated now and to send her our status match documents. Sent those right back with no reply. Resent the next day asking for a confirmation that my email was received with no reply again. Going to call again tomorrow as it’s been a week and see if this is being processed. This has been massively aggravating though. Never had to go through so many hoops with a cruiseline before.

 

UPDATE: It's been two weeks since my last contact with Voyager's Club. Today I called again and luckily got the same woman I spoke to before. When I told her I never got a response back to my last few emails she had to go digging through their emails and lo and behold she found mine. She put me on hold for 10 minutes but then came back and said she had completed the status match for my husband and I. We are now Black Card matched based on our Celebrity Elite Plus status. Interestingly enough she told me that when she was going through the processing of this she found my original application for the Status Match that I had sent through back in September. I'm thinking because they had a record of my application from before October 1st that is why they gave me Black Card status since it sounds like the rules changed in October. What is frustrating is that they had both my original application and my recent emails in their files but it took this long to get this all sorted out. They have a serious technical service management issue that they really need to address. But I am happy that this finally got resolved.

[MPJCH]

So I called on Friday and turns out you can’t call, you have to e-mail them! But I did talk to a very nice lady who basically said because I had to reapply ( which I shouldn’t have had too) it put me at gold, and there was nothing she could do!  She totally got what I was saying about MSC going back on there own policy! Needless to say we canceled the cruise we booked for July 2020! Booked with another cruise line! We are still going on the October MSC cruise only because it’s pay for and it out of New York and it’s my husband 60th Birthday! Probably won’t cruise MSC again! And trust me MSC has gotten their share of money from us, we have sailed 2 times in the Yacht Club & the October cruise is in the Yacht Club too!  

 

Also sorry some of you weren’t happy because MSC has the status match, but people were only taking advantage of what MSC was offering, I’m sure you would do the same if it was you & you had points with other cruise line!

[lupinsmum]

4 hours ago, MPJCH said:

So I called on Friday and turns out you can’t call, you have to e-mail them! But I did talk to a very nice lady who basically said because I had to reapply ( which I shouldn’t have had too) it put me at gold, and there was nothing she could do!  She totally got what I was saying about MSC going back on there own policy! Needless to say we canceled the cruise we booked for July 2020! Booked with another cruise line! We are still going on the October MSC cruise only because it’s pay for and it out of New York and it’s my husband 60th Birthday! Probably won’t cruise MSC again! And trust me MSC has gotten their share of money from us, we have sailed 2 times in the Yacht Club & the October cruise is in the Yacht Club too!  

 

Also sorry some of you weren’t happy because MSC has the status match, but people were only taking advantage of what MSC was offering, I’m sure you would do the same if it was you & you had points with other cruise line!

I’m also sorry that I’ve booked this cruise nothing to do with status cards because we were given BLACK Status the first time we applied for them. Its the attitude and comments made by MSC cruisers, will we be sailing with a miserable bunch of people who are up themselves over a status match.  All I wanted to do was try a different cruise line, I didn’t ask for the  status Black the offer was from MCS, I would have been stupid not to have taken it. Anyone with a modicum of sense would do the same.

MSC only have their shareholders interest to worry about and this status match  will attract many more cruisers and fill cabins.