MSC want to charge additional taxes to reprice my booking

[LMaxwell]

Currently holding a booking; I am before final payment and noticed the price went down on my cabin category.  I called in and they said they will give me the lower cabin price but have to charge me MORE in taxes, basically wiping out the savings.  This makes no sense to me.  I am before final payment is due and MSC insists they have to cancel and rebook me at the higher tax rate.  Has anyone had this happen to them?  

[diesel1973]

Same thing happened to me. They also changed my room. Then when on the cruise the gouging continued!   Buyer Beware!

[ssmea03]

14 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Currently holding a booking; I am before final payment and noticed the price went down on my cabin category.  I called in and they said they will give me the lower cabin price but have to charge me MORE in taxes, basically wiping out the savings.  This makes no sense to me.  I am before final payment is due and MSC insists they have to cancel and rebook me at the higher tax rate.  Has anyone had this happen to them?  

If the tax rates have changed wherever you live between when you booked and now, then they will have no choice but to charge the new rate, you can't argue with the taxman. If there is no saving to be had don't change your booking.

[LMaxwell]

6 minutes ago, ssmea03 said:

If the tax rates have changed wherever you live between when you booked and now, then they will have no choice but to charge the new rate, you can't argue with the taxman. If there is no saving to be had don't change your booking.

Have never had that happen on a booking originating in US before final payment 

[ssmea03]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Have never had that happen on a booking originating in US before final payment 

Maybe because your state or federal taxes have never changed before. Or maybe it's port taxes, maybe the Bahamas just upped their port taxes to pay for hurricane damage.

Which taxes have changed exactly, do a dummy booking to identify the actual difference, your first post is rather vague. MSC don't impose taxes they just collect them.

[LMaxwell]

2 minutes ago, ssmea03 said:

Maybe because your state or federal taxes have never changed before. Or maybe it's port taxes, maybe the Bahamas just upped their port taxes to pay for hurricane damage.

Which taxes have changed exactly, do a dummy booking to identify the actual difference, your first post is rather vague. MSC don't impose taxes they just collect them.

 

It's lumped together as "Taxes and Fees".  

 

Regardless; I am before final payment date.  They should not need to make a new booking to reprice room to todays lower advertised rate.  

[ssmea03]

3 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

It's lumped together as "Taxes and Fees".  

 

Regardless; I am before final payment date.  They should not need to make a new booking to reprice room to todays lower advertised rate.  

So the issue isn't actually the taxes, but the fact they want you to cancel and rebook, rather than just repricing your original booking. This is a valid complaint, and now we have got to the crux of the matter hopefully those with more experience of making changes will be able to provide the answers you are looking for. My own experience when we have enquired about such changes, rebooking was required to effect the change. So we didn't bother.

[LMaxwell]

Just now, ssmea03 said:

So the issue isn't actually the taxes, but the fact they want you to cancel and rebook, rather than just repricing your original booking. This is a valid complaint, and now we have got to the crux of the matter hopefully those with more experience of making changes will be able to provide the answers you are looking for. My own experience when we have enquired about such changes, rebooking was required to effect the change. So we didn't bother.

The issue is the taxes have increased since I booked, basically negating the savings of the lower cabin fare being advertised.  If it was after final payment and in to penalty period I could see needing to cancel and rebook to get whatever the current promotion is and suffering any penalties or tax changes.  In my case since I am before final payment why do they need to make a new booking and charge additional taxes? Ive tried to speak with a supervisor on multiple occasions but always rebuffed that none are working 

[ssmea03]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

The issue is the taxes have increased since I booked, basically negating the savings of the lower cabin fare being advertised.  If it was after final payment and in to penalty period I could see needing to cancel and rebook to get whatever the current promotion is and suffering any penalties or tax changes.  In my case since I am before final payment why do they need to make a new booking and charge additional taxes? Ive tried to speak with a supervisor on multiple occasions but always rebuffed that none are working 

Changes in taxes are a by product of rebooking rather than repricing. 

I suggest the next time you call refuse to take no for an answer. Stay on the line arguing your point, ask for a supervisor, ask for a supervisors boss. But don't hang up just keep arguing your point, wear them down until they give in.

[LMaxwell]

7 minutes ago, ssmea03 said:

Changes in taxes are a by product of rebooking rather than repricing. 

I suggest the next time you call refuse to take no for an answer. Stay on the line arguing your point, ask for a supervisor, ask for a supervisors boss. But don't hang up just keep arguing your point, wear them down until they give in.

I asked for a supervisor on Thursday, none were working.  I called this morning and ALL the supervisors are "in meetings".  My final payment is due this week.  MSC have promised to return my call but have not in either case.  The agent on the phone basically said "I can't just sit on the phone with you on hold...there is no one for you to speak with" 

[nealjr]

Just last week I called in to change my booking because the rates were lower then when I booked.  I had no problem except I had to paid additional deposit from $97.00 per person to the current $197.00 per person.  No additional taxes were charged other then the rebooking because the original booking was canceled in full.

[ssmea03]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

I asked for a supervisor on Thursday, none were working.  I called this morning and ALL the supervisors are "in meetings".  My final payment is due this week.  MSC have promised to return my call but have not in either case.  The agent on the phone basically said "I can't just sit on the phone with you on hold...there is no one for you to speak with" 

Has anyone ever had a call returned? I think that's a brush off, likewise regarding the unavailability of supervisors, I am sure they are under orders to never transfer a call to a supervisor. They will go and have a chat with one themselves though. 

When you reach an impasse just keep challenging them to do what you want.

I think you can safely assume that the official policy is that you must rebook to make the kind of changes that you want to do.

[nealjr]

3 minutes ago, ssmea03 said:

Has anyone ever had a call returned? I think that's a brush off, likewise regarding the unavailability of supervisors, I am sure they are under orders to never transfer a call to a supervisor. They will go and have a chat with one themselves though. 

When you reach an impasse just keep challenging them to do what you want.

I think you can safely assume that the official policy is that you must rebook to make the kind of changes that you want to do.

You for sure have to cancel the existing booking and rebook, transfer you deposits from the "old" to "new"

[Até]

I've had three US bookings where the tax rate has changed significantly, almost $400 over the three bookings.  Luckily for me they were decreased and the cruise fare and promotions were exactly the same.  I was able to get my PCV to switch me to the new lower tax rate without cancelling. 

 

Based on my experience, if there has been a change in promotions causing the cabin rate price difference then OP's only choice is to cancel and re-book, which will be subject to the new tax rate.  If nothing else has changed, just a price drop pre final payment, OP should be able to keep the same booking at the new price which should leave the taxes/fees the same.  Good luck.

[sidari]

1 hour ago, nealjr said:

You for sure have to cancel the existing booking and rebook, transfer you deposits from the "old" to "new"

MSC in the UK will not allow us to do this, it is cancel, lose deposit and rebook. If the prices have dropped for say YC for the same sailing they go back to the date of the original booking and charge you the price as it was then and was likely higher!

 

[Até]

I had a similar situation where the price dropped just prior to final payment.  MSC had made a tweak to the "All In" offer I had booked under and therefore I could not take advantage of the price drop.  It would have been a cancel and re-book which wasn't worth the price drop for the possibility of losing the cabin, the category was sold out and the cabin would take a while to go back into inventory before it could be re-booked.  More specifics would be needed to comment further on LMaxwell's situation.

[abe3]

3 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

The issue is the taxes have increased since I booked, basically negating the savings of the lower cabin fare being advertised.  If it was after final payment and in to penalty period I could see needing to cancel and rebook to get whatever the current promotion is and suffering any penalties or tax changes.  In my case since I am before final payment why do they need to make a new booking and charge additional taxes? Ive tried to speak with a supervisor on multiple occasions but always rebuffed that none are working 

They will not reprice without cancel and rebooking. I had to go through this with the four cabins I have booked for myself and family coming up this January and I was way before final payment when I did the change. Wasn’t that bad of a process, but there is a small chance you might lose your cabin they told me when doing this. But we did not have that problem. 

 

Wish they would just reprice instead of going through all the hassles, but I think they use it as a deterrent from people trying to do it. We did it because it saved us a bit, but your situation with the taxes is odd, so you would have to see where the difference in taxes/fees are coming from not giving you the savings  you  thought you would receive.  

[frank808]

8 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

The issue is the taxes have increased since I booked, basically negating the savings of the lower cabin fare being advertised.  If it was after final payment and in to penalty period I could see needing to cancel and rebook to get whatever the current promotion is and suffering any penalties or tax changes.  In my case since I am before final payment why do they need to make a new booking and charge additional taxes? Ive tried to speak with a supervisor on multiple occasions but always rebuffed that none are working 

I had 4 future bookings booked when we sailed Seaside in 2018.  Fast forward to our trip for summer 2020 on Seaside again.  MSC refused to move those deposits to the dates we needed.  We are going 3 weeks earlier instead.  After getting no where, we cancelled and got refunded our deposits.  Then had to rebook at the new rate and lose our $200 OBC from onboard bookings.  Totally different than how RCCL treats bookings.  This ended costing me $800 more each cruise. 

[Robinsoncruiseso]

Just an FYI. Travel Agents have a different number to call MSC and get different results than expressed here. Just FYI for next booking.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Robinsoncruiseso said:

Just an FYI. Travel Agents have a different number to call MSC and get different results than expressed here. Just FYI for next booking.

 

That's my answer to "but I hate to lose control of my booking"!!!

[Hlitner]

The tax/port charge issue exists on just about every cruise line.  If you read the fine print of passenger contracts it generally gives the cruise line the right to charge the additional cost of changes in taxes/port fees.  That being said, most (not all) cruise lines have traditionally eaten any additional tax cost for those who have already booked.  But if you reprice a booked cruise you can often end up paying the, then current taxes/port fees, and might even lose some previously granted amenities (such as On Board Credits).  

 

I should add that this does work two ways.  We have often had small refunds (while on cruises) due to a reduction in taxes/port charges.  The calculation of these items can be very complicated and even varies depending on the assigned pier in some ports.  There are times when the cruise line will not even know their actual obligated taxes/fees until after the ship has embarked on a voyage.

 

Hank

[Captain-John]

22 hours ago, sidari said:

MSC in the UK will not allow us to do this, it is cancel, lose deposit and rebook. If the prices have dropped for say YC for the same sailing they go back to the date of the original booking and charge you the price as it was then and was likely higher!

 

 

This. :(

[GOLDENBONNY]

21 hours ago, Até said:

I had a similar situation where the price dropped just prior to final payment.  MSC had made a tweak to the "All In" offer I had booked under and therefore I could not take advantage of the price drop.  It would have been a cancel and re-book which wasn't worth the price drop for the possibility of losing the cabin, the category was sold out and the cabin would take a while to go back into inventory before it could be re-booked.  More specifics would be needed to comment further on LMaxwell's situation.

 I had same problem with HAL once. Only chance to get better price was to make a new booking and I could lose my cabin. 

[graphicguy]

My number #1 and #2 complaints with MSC....

 

-#1...taxes collected.  Had the same exact thing happen to me on my Meraviglia cruise.  Price dropped, so the taxes should have dropped as well.  They told me the same thing.....if they honored the reduced price, my taxes would be more, making the price drop worthless.

 

-#2....dealing with MSC directly is an exercise in insanity.  IF you can reach them, whomever you eventually talk to can't help you, and there's never anyone available in a management position who can.

 

I concur that letting a TA deal with them is the better way to go.  I'm a tad resultant to book with them again, even though both cruises I've taken with them have been fine.  But, the billing snafus were never rectified.  If they won't honor the tax and fare structures, I'm not sure I want to go through that again with them.

Edited September 16, 2019 by graphicguy

[Hey Tina]

On 9/15/2019 at 10:33 AM, ssmea03 said:

I think you can safely assume that the official policy is that you must rebook to make the kind of changes that you want to do.

 

I think you can safely assume that you can't count on talking to MSC and getting the same answer twice. I recently wanted to downgrade to a guarantee cabin because the only cabin available in the experience and cabin type I wanted when I booked was an accessible one (which I don't need) and the first person I spoke with said it wasn't possible to downgrade once you've chosen a cabin. I thanked her, hung up, called back and got an agent who was able to change my reservation to a guarantee. If I had just listened to the first person I'd have assumed the person working for MSC knows what they're talking about (mistake) and dropped it, but I knew what she was saying made no sense.

 

Reposting due to unexplained deletion.