Mandatory Service Charges

[sidari]

Just looked at our Xmas cruise from Miami to see what cabins are still available and it clearly says that services charges are Mandatory!

[Epos Man]

but on the uk site it doesn't left and right hand again

[sidari]

IKEA ... It does on the UK site, do a mock booking and you will see it on the right hand side under the Orange button.

[Epos Man]

funny thing is if i go to https://www.msccruises.co.uk/cruise-deals/summer-2019#/ it doesn't say it but if you hit select then select back to search results it then does say mandatory services not included

[Epos Man]

i expect its to do with my cache looking at the old page then refreshing to the new one once i select back to search results

[Epos Man]

but as in the post earlier it then says its included in the price so still left hand not knowing right hand

 

[jes1941]

Unless service was really bad - and it hasn't been on our 25 cruises - we would never remove gratuities; especially on NCL with their "freestyling" because they work all the time, not just at assigned dinner times.  We love it.  It's our favorite cruiseline, but this is our first on MSC, so we shall see.

[robins66]

14 hours ago, thecruisers6 said:

Is this another change in wording?

Goal posts moving again. 

This is from a booking today made in the UK and posted on Facebook. 

The per guest, per night service charge is included in the cruise fare. 

 

Yippee for all the staff who work so hard to make my holidays so wonderful. 

Shame on those who take money away from their families 😀

 

Sorry i can’t get the image any better

I posted this on FB. Noticed it on my booking confirmation. MSC DID ask if I was booking in the UK or Ireland which implies that they are adding it into the cruise fare.

[sidari]

8 hours ago, robins66 said:

I posted this on FB. Noticed it on my booking confirmation. MSC DID ask if I was booking in the UK or Ireland which implies that they are adding it into the cruise fare.

Where are you sailing ?

[robins66]

Dubai and Emirates next March.

 

[jes1941]

Is this just on the UK site - that mandatory service charges are included?

[sidari]

When you look at a dummy booking it says that they are not included but are Mandatory! That said the website is currently in a worse mess than it was in 2012.

[Beamafar]

I agree about the UK website, Dave.  It's more cumbersome to navigate than it used to be.

 

It is clearly showing that charges are mandatory now (despite the claims that the policy had been rescinded):

 

[sidari]

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

I agree about the UK website, Dave.  It's more cumbersome to navigate than it used to be.

 

It is clearly showing that charges are mandatory now (despite the claims that the policy had been rescinded):

 

Odd when you read the small print in the post above that says it is included.

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, sidari said:

Odd when you read the small print in the post above that says it is included.

 

I didn't see that, Dave.  I'm going to have to have another look (if I can get the site to load - not sure if it's a problem with the site or my - constant at this stage - trouble with my internet connection).  I just stumbled on what I've posted when checking to see if MSC UK was still not offering YC for our Southampton cruise.

[robins66]

I made another booking for a family member. They asked are you booking in the UK or Ireland.  The booking confirmation says the same as above ie the service charge is included and is mandatory.

[sidari]

So it looks like they have added it by the backdoor and once again failed to inform customers!.

[robins66]

4 minutes ago, sidari said:

So it looks like they have added it by the backdoor and once again failed to inform customers!.

Who knows. MSc change the goalposts every other day. Our confirmation says we’ve paid it so don’t see how they can charge again. However, we booked a cruise last July for 31 nights, before they made the charges compulsory. Spoke to ABTA who said we are bound by the terms and conditions at the time of booking only and any changes afterwards don’t affect us. We ALWAYS tip good service and have done a lot of cruises with MSc. I certainly won’t be spoiling my holiday because of this issue. 

 

[Beamafar]

I've searched through the T&Cs that have been provided with some of my bookings, past and current, and cannot find any mention about the Daily Service Charge.

[robins66]

8 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

I've searched through the T&Cs that have been provided with some of my bookings, past and current, and cannot find any mention about the Daily Service Charge.

The brochures have always mentioned the service charge but it has NEVER been a compulsory charge. ABTA advised that they have to tell you BEFORE booking that it is compulsory to be able to enforce it. 

[dwade1901]

I'm still relatively new to this whole cruise thing but have read this extremely long post and will offer a few comments based on my perspective - I know many of these points have been made before:

 

1. This issue of this thread is NOT about whether people should tip or not - whether I cruise or am out for a meal etc, I always tip (unless something catastrophic happens)

 

2. I've always found the concept of 'service charge' confusing at best - it would actually make more sense for the companies to call it 'tip' because surely, your base fare includes the 'service' you receive!!

 

3. The problem is, they cannot call it a 'tip' as by definition, that HAS to be discretionary and there is no way they can make that mandatory.

 

4. Like I said, I have ALWAYS paid the service charge on a cruise (only done 2 so far, cruising again in January) because I have viewed it as a tip and want to contribute to all employees (whether they directly serve me or not) in this way.

 

5. I have enjoyed my 2 cruises with MSC and am cruising with them again - however, I agree with the posts about the way they handle stuff like this - it is not good communication at all.

 

Thanks everyone - cannot wait to sail Meraviglia from Miami in January!! :-)

 

 

 

 

[glittergal1]

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

I've searched through the T&Cs that have been provided with some of my bookings, past and current, and cannot find any mention about the Daily Service Charge.

 

There has never been any mention of the DSC  in any of our terms and conditions  either 

[sidari]

Just read a post on an MSC FB page from a UK cruiser just returned from a Med cruise who has posted that they received a letter in their cabin saying that the Daily Service charge is Mandatory! It seems they have infact introduced it by Stealth, despite also saying that UK guests were excluded.

[Epos Man]

I thought that they were going to include it in the cost of the cruise at least that's what the boss of the UK side said at the launch of Bellisima

[Beamafar]

I believe that was for bookings being made from some date in this month, EM, which is highly unlikely to apply to the person on FB.  I'm almost tempted to request removing the DSC on our upcoming cruise as I booked thru' a German TA and have it in writing that MSC Germany states that the charge is NOT mandatory.