Important notice on your upcoming cruise

[Geobugs]

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

CANCELLATION OF UPCOMING DECEMBER 2020 CRUISE

November 4, 2020

Dear Guest,

We want to make you aware of a change to your upcoming cruise.

We are constantly monitoring the COVID-19 global public health emergency. Following the guidance of governments and health authorities around the world, while always prioritizing the health and safety of our guests and crew, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel all cruises to the Caribbean and The Bahamas departing from Miami and Orlando (Port Canaveral) through to and including December 31, 2020.

GUEST COMPENSATION

As a guest booked through MSC Cruises USA on an impacted sailing departing in the month of December 2020, we will provide you a 125% Future Cruise Credit of your original cruise fare paid to be used on a sailing departing on or before April 30, 2022 and booked by December 31, 2021.

The Future Cruise Credit will be directly sent to the email we have on file for your reservation by mid-December so there is no need for you to do anything. Any applicable pre-paid items and government taxes and fees will be automatically refunded to your original form of payment. For any other expenses that you may have incurred, such as flights, hotels, or transport, please contact your travel advisor or airline.

Please note, due to the extraordinary circumstances related to the pandemic, we are currently processing a high volume of refunds and Future Cruise Credits, ultimately slowing down our normal refund process. We appreciate your patience as we aim to process refunds to prepaid items and government taxes and fees as quickly as possible.

How to Use Your Future Cruise Credit

With the 125% Future Cruise Credit, you can choose to upgrade your stateroom category or treat yourself to an add-on that you pre-purchase such as specialty dining, beverage packages, Wi-Fi or spa treatment. As an added level of comfort, if you do not use the 125% Future Cruise Credit by December 31, 2021, we will automatically provide you a full refund equal to the original amount paid.

Your 125% Future Cruise Credit is good for any future cruise of your choice – including any ship and any itinerary in MSC Cruises’ fleet, sailing before April 30, 2022, as long as it’s booked before December 31, 2021.

We hope you appreciate the increased value of the Future Cruise Credit and choose to sail with MSC Cruises in the near future. However, if you prefer a refund, after receiving your Future Cruise Credit, please call our Cruise Consultants at 866-420-3584 between December 16, 2020 and January 15, 2021. At that time, we will deactivate your Future Cruise Credit and process your refund. Note, we can only process your refund once you’ve received your Future Cruise Credit.

We appreciate your understanding given the extraordinary circumstances the world is currently facing in connection with the COVID-19 virus, and we hope to welcome you aboard a future sailing with MSC Cruises.


Best,

MSC Cruises USA

[phissy]

Wow, wait over a year to get your refund.  Still looks like MSC has not gotten their act together.  We just got refund for  laundry package purchased for March 2020 cancelled cruise.

Edited November 5, 2020 by phissy

[dexddd]

At least with YC as a general statement and increased prices that 25% not helping much.  Plus haven't seen FCC from March so good luck seeing new ones in December.  Gotta love the marketing spin - taking out of NCL playbook where everything is ...for our convenience, of course.  Why not offer a lift and shift option?

[sverigecruiser]

10 hours ago, phissy said:

Wow, wait over a year to get your refund.  Still looks like MSC has not gotten their act together.  We just got refund for  laundry package purchased for March 2020 cancelled cruise.

 

Where do you see that it will take over a year to get a refund?

 

Between December 16 and January 15 people can call MSC if they want a refund. We can hope that the refund will be payed back rather soon after that.

[sidari]

A Friend is still trying to sort out an FCC from a cancelled March cruise and a recent one on Seaview! Plot and Lost comes to mind.

[BermudaBound2014]

Without understanding behind the scenes, it seems MSC makes things more difficult than necessary. Now you must first wait for the FCC to appear before applying for a refund?? People still waiting for FCC's from March. I suspect this new technicality may protect MSC from a credit card refund application being processes quickly which could have been the intent.

 

Once you apply for a refund doesn't MSC have 60 (or is it 90) days to issue the cash back? Given this timeline and MSC's history, I would be pleasantly surprised if November/December refunds get cash back into the hands of consumers within 6 months and I'm not sure the one year estimate is far off base.

 

 

 

[travelberlin]

I do not like the way MSC is handling the cancellation of cruises. The refund shall be requested immediately if people wish to do so. Besides this, MSC is cancelling cruises on a very short notice. For example cruises in South America have been cancelled AFTER final payments, although it was clear months ago that no cruise line was going to sail in South America in November. I find MSC is getting hold of cruisers money although they already know that probabilities to sail are low. 
This is very disappointing even for cruisers like us, who have done many cruises with MSC and have kept coming back.

Ivi

[Greenhopster]

Fellow cruisers, I'm just pondering out loud, but think about it. The Business has been crushed with this virus. With no income how do you expect to get a refund. They are probably using whatever cash reserves and cash flow they have to keep the doors open and try to stay alive. It's unfortunate but you will probably be waiting for refund until business resumes.

[travelberlin]

4 hours ago, Greenhopster said:

Fellow cruisers, I'm just pondering out loud, but think about it. The Business has been crushed with this virus. With no income how do you expect to get a refund. They are probably using whatever cash reserves and cash flow they have to keep the doors open and try to stay alive. It's unfortunate but you will probably be waiting for refund until business resumes.

Not only cruise lines do not have an income due to the Pandemic. I know people who before the Pandemic were able to afford things like a cruise and now they are not. For them a refund is a necessity. Now you ask how do we expect to get a refund? Are you serious? You mean because MSC is in difficulties no one shall expect  a refund and just give their money away out of solidarity? It is MSC responsibility to find the means to fulfill its obligations. To force rebookings which are valid only until the end of April 2022 without even knowing how the virus will continue is not adequate. Every body has the right of a refund.

Ivi

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I find their refund process exceedingly annoying.  My November cruise was cancelled after final payment.  I can't even apply for a refund until November 16.  And the application needs to go through the TA I booked with who is getting out of the business and therefore is less than enthusiastic about serving her customers.  I'll be thinking long and hard before booking another cruise on MSC.

[sidari]

Just saw a post on social media that someone paid the balance for their Grandiosa Barcelona January cruise earlier today and had it cancelled this evening!

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

To force rebookings which are valid only until the end of April 2022 without even knowing how the virus will continue is not adequate. Every body has the right of a refund.

 

I agree with you that everybody has the right of a refund. The information the OP posted also say that thoose who wants to will get their money back so a rebooking isn't necessary.

[sidari]

MSC has a very large Merchant company which is still sailing and making money, their handling of the Refund issue has got beyond a joke now.

[Oxo]

18 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I find their refund process exceedingly annoying.  My November cruise was cancelled after final payment.  I can't even apply for a refund until November 16.  And the application needs to go through the TA I booked with who is getting out of the business and therefore is less than enthusiastic about serving her customers.  I'll be thinking long and hard before booking another cruise on MSC.

FYI -

  On 11/2/2020 at 11:21 AM, dexddd said:

We booked via TA.  MSC won't talk to us or respond.  FCC no show coming up 8 months.

I booked through my TA. We were on a 3 way call with MSC in the US. Promised within 2 weeks. Never showed up. So I did the CC Dispute and got my money from CC credit to my card immediately. Then  had to wait on MSC to respond to my CC. 

Did you pay via credit card? If yes, file a dispute and depending on your CC, they may immediately credit the amount to your CC. Then the CC will give MSC 60 days to respond. My CC is Citi Visa. Worked for me.

Good Luck!

With some CC you must file a dispute within x number of days from payment.

MSC DID REFUND ALL MY MONEY.

It just took time. 

Stay Safe!

 

[Oxo]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

MSC has a very large Merchant company which is still sailing and making money, their handling of the Refund issue has got beyond a joke now.

You are totally correct! MSC is a very BIG company.