DISGUSTED with MSC Special Services !

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 9/28/2019 at 6:33 PM, daisy-mae said:

 

Having just returned from our first MSC cruise, I can say that in some respects, MSC is not like many other cruise lines.

Amen to that and I hope they will stay this way. 

[lorenzod]

On 9/28/2019 at 6:32 PM, Beamafar said:

MSC isn't  "any other cruise line".  Why would anyone assume that, because things are done on a certain cruiseline, it should be consistent across all cruise lines?  I would never assume that, because one hotel chain offers a certain service, all hotel chains will do the same - the same applies for cruise lines.  If I have a specific need, I would check that it can be met before booking.

 

Think of the term "Industry Standard" We sail MSC often and they have supplied Distilled water for our CPAP. I think they are just covering their rear in case they run out.

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by lorenzod

[korpo024]

for a week you should just use normal water...destilled is not necessary. It will not make a huge difference.

[korpo024]

On 9/29/2019 at 6:13 AM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

You are missing the point. I bet MSc does have epi pens available for purchase in the infirmary. Curls are available for purchase with a hair style. They most certainly have glucose meters, painkillers, etc... and if I’m not mistaken they offer diaper packages as SERVICE for their guests. MSc has admitted distilled wAter is a popular request so why not provide the service? Heck, I’d think that the bean counters would be all over this as a revenue opportunity.

 

The only acceptable response when a royal suite guests asks, in advance, for a $1 item they need for medical reasons is.. “it would be my pleasure Sir”.

 

 

OMG I use CPAP without destilled water...it runs just fine....

[BermudaBound2014]

4 hours ago, korpo024 said:

OMG I use CPAP without destilled water...it runs just fine....

 

 

The OP didn't say it was for a CPAP  

 

And even if it was, IMO, the only acceptable response when a royal suite guests asks, in advance, for a $1 item they need for medical reasons is .. “it would be my pleasure Sir”

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by BermudaBound2014

[Shippy]

On 9/28/2019 at 8:56 PM, DCGuy64 said:

Well, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, and I can see your point. I just disagree with it. Many passengers onboard cruise ships have any number of medical issues to deal with, and I think (just my opinion, of course) that it is unreasonable to expect them to foresee every eventuality and have supplies on the ship to deal with them. It’s not as if distilled water were the only thing. As a frequent reader of posts on cruise critic, I have heard of people
expecting them to supply (for free, in many cases)
1. Epipens
2. Curling irons
3. CPAP machines
4. Glucose meters
5. Diapers
6. All manner of painkillers and prescription medicines
7. Extension cords
And other things that escape me at 11:53 pm.
My point is that there has to be a reasonable limit on what cruise lines can be expected to have on hand and still keep pricing reasonable. Royal Suite or not, I feel it’s not MSC’s job to fully stock every possible piece of medical equipment or jug of water. If you need it, bring your own. A friendly word with the butler may well get the OP what he/she needs. Writing on Cruise Critic about being disgusted and trashing the company, likely won’t. Just my opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

   Sorry you must have missed my second posting where I clarified this was about their special services department ONLY and want to be clear not the cruise line as a whole.

MSC is a nice line and we are black card and have been sailing with them since way before the yacht club started.

I totally agree there are many expectations...perhaps to many. It is only that this request was never questioned on other lines...that is why I was a bit taken back by their reply.

[NCTribeFan]

FTR, I took a power strip w/o a surge protector on my May Armonia sailing and it was taken at security.  I've brought them on Carnival, so I was surprised.  The only reason I took it was because I was sailing with DD and you know how these Millennials think they need a half-dozen electronic devices at all times. 😋 So, my fault for not asking here first.

 

Just curious, but is a CPAP actually considered a "medical necessity" as is someone's life is in danger if they don't use it for a week?  And if it is, wouldn't the reverse osmosis water on the ship suffice?

 

As for me, just off my 3rd consecutive MSC sailing, I'm quite happy that MSC is different from the other 30+ cruises I've taken (Carnival, HAL, RCL, NCL).  I hope they don't try too hard to Americanize their product.

[Beardface]

25 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

FTR, I took a power strip w/o a surge protector on my May Armonia sailing and it was taken at security.  I've brought them on Carnival, so I was surprised.  The only reason I took it was because I was sailing with DD and you know how these Millennials think they need a half-dozen electronic devices at all times. 😋 So, my fault for not asking here first.

 

The snipe at Millennials aside, in the future, as long as everything you need to charge can be plugged into a USB port, I recommend just buying a USB hub on Amazon and taking that on future trips.  We're able to charge our phones, cameras, tablets, e-readers, etc from one bedside outlet without needing an extension cord.

[sptrout]

2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

Just curious, but is a CPAP actually considered a "medical necessity" as is someone's life is in danger if they don't use it for a week?  And if it is, wouldn't the reverse osmosis water on the ship suffice?

Yes! CPAP is a medical necessity and if a CPAP-adapted person misses even one night without their machine a heart attack or stroke is a possibility (remember Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of a heart attack with his unconnected CPAP machine right beside him). Seven nights or more without a CPAP would at best be nights of misery and total exhaustion the following days with other side effects; constant headaches, etc. 

 

There are two CPAP-specific Boards that I am a member of and all experienced CPAP users go to great and expensive lengths to make sure that they never go a single night without one, the most obvious situation is a power failure that requires expensive battery backup systems. I personally have two backup power systems and two backup machines. 

 

As for water, humidity is considered a comfort option and is not necessary, but may be uncomfortable for some. If distilled water is not available then either bottled water or tap water would be fine. Any build up in the water tank could easily be removed when returning home, or just buy a new tank which for my machine is a cheap alternative (and yes, I have spare tanks).  

 

IMO,  if MSC confiscates a customer's extension cord without providing one, MSC will be in for a large lawsuit by the surviving family members. That will be the permanent cure of this situation. MSC, welcome to the US legal system.

Edited October 2, 2019 by sptrout

[DCGuy64]

I guess my main gripe would be this: cruise ships cannot possibly cater to every medical issue and still remain competitive pricewise. Some folks have opined that other ships provide things like distilled water "for free." One of the first things I learned in economics class in college was that NOTHING is free. You always pay, one way or another. NCL could provide "free" distilled water and then charge $2,000 more for a room than MSC who doesn't provide "free" water. See what I mean? Now, with that said, I do have to say I'm shocked that MSC special services dismissed the OP's request. And if I'd paid for a Royal Suite in the Yacht Club, I'd be very annoyed. My wife has a number of medical issues but she brings everything she needs and never assumes the cruise ship will provide. I use a nasal sinus rinse every day because I'm a professional singer and I've been told 1,000s of times "you have to use distilled water." Well, I don't, it isn't necessary (and that is probably different to the original poster). I suppose what gets my goat is that I can foresee the same people who say "MSC should provide this and that and the other thing" and then simultaneously complain about MSC skimping on the Voyagers Club benefits, charging for chocolate martinis (that used to be free), dropping the free newspapers in the Yacht Club, etc. As a frequent reader of CC posts, I see this trend over and over, namely that the cruise line takes it on the chin for cutting back on the freebies while at the same time being expected to provide all types of medical necessities without charge. You can't have it both ways, that's all I'm saying. If you say "Carnival, RCCL, NCL, etc. all provide this for free, why can't MSC?" then be careful what you wish for, because MSC will do that and shortchange you elsewhere. Just understand that's basic economics, and no cruise line is immune to that.

[NCTribeFan]

Well, the snipe at Millennials was at my own daughter and she doesn't actually use a half-dozen electronic devices.  That was joking, hence the emoji.  Had I needed the power strip for a medical device, then it would've created a problem.  I was bringing it as a convenience.

 

I obviously don't know a lot about CPAPs.  But I'd guess there are millions of people with undiagnosed  and untreated sleep apnea that do not die in their sleep every night!

 

It was the OP's use of DISGUSTED in all caps that seemed like an overreaction to me.  I understand being disappointed, but disgusted?

 

And, yes, I agree that it does not seem unreasonable for MSC to provide distilled water but if bottled or tap water should suffice for a while, why not just use that?

 

But I also agree with DCGuy.  I'm so tired of reading the non-stop complaints about cutbacks as though the cruiseline's costs haven risen over the years.  People seem to think everything should be as it was 20 years ago for the same (non-inflation-adjusted) dollars, which is totally unrealistic.

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

 dropping the free newspapers in the Yacht Club

 

When did they removed the papers? I have not heared about that before.

[G.M.T.]

30 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

When did they removed the papers? I have not heared about that before.

See you get the news on CC even before it happens.

 

MSC should put the news on their App.🍻

[Beamafar]

32 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

When did they removed the papers? I have not heared about that before.

 

I'm guessing that DCGuy just threw that out as a quip ... we had newspapers on Seaview last month (though they were very late arriving every morning).

[smile145]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I If you say "Carnival, RCCL, NCL, etc. all provide this for free, why can't MSC?" then be careful what you wish for, because MSC will do that and shortchange you elsewhere. Just understand that's basic economics, and no cruise line is immune to that.

 

As I and others on here have stated, we are not looking for a freebie from MSC.  I am more than happy to pay for the distilled water and more than happy to pay a PREMIUM for the distilled water.  We have no easy way to carry the gallon jugs on the plane (not allowed) and shuttle to the port.

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm guessing that DCGuy just threw that out as a quip ... we had newspapers on Seaview last month (though they were very late arriving every morning).

No, it wasn't a quip. I'm sorry that I can't remember where on CC I read it, but I know I read someone's review a couple of weeks ago in which someone in the YC reported that newspaper delivery didn't happen during the cruise. If I have time I'll try to locate the post.

[sverigecruiser]

9 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm guessing that DCGuy just threw that out as a quip ... we had newspapers on Seaview last month (though they were very late arriving every morning).

 

I hope they will keep then. It's not important but still nice to get!

 

Do you know if they have reduced the titles to choose among since we cruised on Meraviglia or are the titles different when cruising in the Caribbean? (We couldn't get a Swedish newspaper on Divina.)

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, smile145 said:

 

As I and others on here have stated, we are not looking for a freebie from MSC.  I am more than happy to pay for the distilled water and more than happy to pay a PREMIUM for the distilled water.  We have no easy way to carry the gallon jugs on the plane (not allowed) and shuttle to the port.

You didn't, but someone else did, at least one person (not you) said something to the effect that "it's only $1, why can't they just have it on hand?" (ie at no cost to me) Not trying to pry here, but how much water might you need? I would think a gallon would be enough. If not, I have heard that MSC has electric kettles on board, so one could always boil water and allow it to cool before using it. I do think special services let you down, and I do hope it all works out for you and that you have a wonderful time on your cruise.

[sptrout]

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

I obviously don't know a lot about CPAPs.  But I'd guess there are millions of people with undiagnosed  and untreated sleep apnea that do not die in their sleep every night!

Sadly, many people do die a needless early death by not knowing they have SA, or refusing to do anything about it. Post death, how many heart attack victim families are told that their loved one really died of SA? Not many I would quest, the cause of death is just written off as a "heart attack".

 

Also, most do not know the signs of SA some of which are critical to people that live alone. Everyone knows about snoring, but I think the number #1 unknown symptom is having to get up and go to the bathroom more than once or twice (max) a night (men especially may write it off for other reasons). Remember that SA messes with your entire body even the kidneys. There is almost no body function that is not affected, which is why it is so deadly. 

[Homosassa]

For those of you that are insisting that distilled water is provided on other cruise lines, I can tell you that it is not.

 

We recently cruised on a line that is considered in the luxury category.

 

The CPAP user was advised to bring his own extension cord and distilled water.

 

Luckily, as experienced travelers, finding the required water was easy in spite of the language barrier at the port of departure.

[DCGuy64]

28 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm guessing that DCGuy just threw that out as a quip ... we had newspapers on Seaview last month (though they were very late arriving every morning).

Here is the post I believe I was alluding to. @Beamafar even weighed in on the newspaper issue.

[Beamafar]

14 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

No, it wasn't a quip. I'm sorry that I can't remember where on CC I read it, but I know I read someone's review a couple of weeks ago in which someone in the YC reported that newspaper delivery didn't happen during the cruise. If I have time I'll try to locate the post.

 

I had wondered when I saw your post, DCG, and, had I not been on a YC sailing as recently as I have been and had no problem getting our morning paper, I would not have mistaken it as a throwaway remark.  Apologies!  I think, though, it may have had something to do with the service onboard - they sometimes have difficulties downloading the papers in some regions.  I'll report back on whether we get one or not on Meraviglia.

 

12 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I hope they will keep then. It's not important but still nice to get!

 

Do you know if they have reduced the titles to choose among since we cruised on Meraviglia or are the titles different when cruising in the Caribbean? (We couldn't get a Swedish newspaper on Divina.)

 

I wouldn't have any idea, SC ... as long as they have the one I want, I never check to see what else is on offer - sorry.  This will be our first YC sailing in the Caribbean (I've only just realised this as a result of your question).

[Beamafar]

4 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Here is the post I believe I was alluding to. @Beamafar even weighed in on the newspaper issue.

 

I see that now - I'd been pre-ocupied at the time, what with DH having been ill on the trip and we weren't long home when I posted that.  It obviously didn't register with me.  As I've said, we got our papers, even if they were a bit tardy.

[Beardface]

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

Well, the snipe at Millennials was at my own daughter and she doesn't actually use a half-dozen electronic devices.  That was joking, hence the emoji.  Had I needed the power strip for a medical device, then it would've created a problem.  I was bringing it as a convenience.

 

I figured.  I wasn't trying to do anything more than offering a suggestion for the future that I found made traveling much easier for my wife and I over the last few years.

 

No issue with the rest of your statement.  The hyperbole lately where everyone has to either be overjoyed, enraged, or disgusted about everything is... tiresome.

 

Like, ok MSC said to provide your own distilled water.  That's a minor annoyance at best.  To be 'DISGUSTED' over it and take to this forum and put them on blast publicly for it is a big overreaction.

[DCGuy64]

25 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I see that now - I'd been pre-ocupied at the time, what with DH having been ill on the trip and we weren't long home when I posted that.  It obviously didn't register with me.  As I've said, we got our papers, even if they were a bit tardy.

No worries, I wasn't sure if YC had simply stopped the papers or just been inconsistent with them. BTW when we were on the Seaside, I loved their News Café because it had newspapers from several different countries.