MSC Customer Service Strikes Again!

[Fla Mike]

I should have known better...

 

Friends of ours are joining us on our Divina cruise next week and are cruise virgins.

So, I figured what better way to welcome them on board than with the Asti and Strawberry Package!

 

Looked all over the website and of course you cannot do it online.

Well, you can, but not as a surprise.

 

Simple solution. Call Customer Service.

No, wait, this is MSC!

 

The Customer Service Rep tells me they cannot add a Bon Voyage gift without it showing up on their documents as a purchased service!?!?!?!

I say every other cruise line will do this and she tells me, she never ever had anyone ask this before!?!?!?!

 

Her suggestion is to go to Guest Services when I board and MAYBE they will get it the first day!?!?!?!

 

I'm starting to think that maybe MSC contracts out their Customer Service in the USA to a third party

[PRH]

Or ask your friends to join you in the bar for a celebratory drink……. MSC really doesn’t know how to do customer service.  It’s like they went out on the street and said “if you speak English that’s enough.  You don’t have to understand it, you don’t have to know anything about cruises or cruising and you certainly don’t have to give an answer that makes any sense.  Just sit there and answer the phone when it rings.”

[rkacruiser]

10 minutes ago, Fla Mike said:

The Customer Service Rep tells me they cannot add a Bon Voyage gift without it showing up on their documents as a purchased service!?!?!?!

 

Ridiculous! 

 

11 minutes ago, Fla Mike said:

I'm starting to think that maybe MSC contracts out their Customer Service in the USA to a third party

 

It does make one wonder about this possibility.  Another possibility might be that such a response ("service") is due to a poorly trained Customer Service representative.

 

I have ordered gifts for friends embarking on a cruise many times.  I wanted them to be in their stateroom when they arrived.  It was always a surprise for them, which is what I wanted it to be.  Never failed to happen.  But, this was on HAL as well as Celebrity or Royal Caribbean.  

[styles27]

How about having it sent to your room then you guys deliver it to them in person. 

[rkacruiser]

5 minutes ago, PRH said:

It’s like they went out on the street and said “if you speak English that’s enough.  You don’t have to understand it, you don’t have to know anything about cruises or cruising and you certainly don’t have to give an answer that makes any sense.  Just sit there and answer the phone when it rings.”

 

☹️   

[Fla Mike]

Silly me, It's MSC.

 

yeah, that rhymes

 

I called back and found someone else to do it, and they actually sounded like they knew what I wanted.

Now we will see what actually happens.

 

Oh, but they can't email me a confirmation!

 

[styles27]

5 minutes ago, Fla Mike said:

Silly me, It's MSC.

 

yeah, that rhymes

 

I called back and found someone else to do it, and they actually sounded like they knew what I wanted.

Now we will see what actually happens.

 

Oh, but they can't email me a confirmation!

 

Ugh no email then I wouldn’t trust it. 
 

BTW just finished reading same type of reviews about CS on the RCCL public FB page.( I was looking for something else and stumbled upon them. )
The complaints were identical. I’m quite surprised. Royal always had great CS when I sailed with them. But it’s been a while. 
Seems MSC isn’t the only one with CS growing pains 

[alyssamma]

19 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Ugh no email then I wouldn’t trust it. 
 

BTW just finished reading same type of reviews about CS on the RCCL public FB page.( I was looking for something else and stumbled upon them. )
The complaints were identical. I’m quite surprised. Royal always had great CS when I sailed with them. But it’s been a while. 
Seems MSC isn’t the only one with CS growing pains 

LOL, glad you brought this up...I read all of the other major boards and see the complaints too. No one is perfect.

 

However, I think you'll agree that MSC just trumps them all with their *complete* lack of communication and their out of the blue itinerary changes. And I'm not talking about skipping an island, I mean 3 days becoming 7 or 14 days becoming 5.

[styles27]

8 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

LOL, glad you brought this up...I read all of the other major boards and see the complaints too. No one is perfect.

 

However, I think you'll agree that MSC just trumps them all with their *complete* lack of communication and their out of the blue itinerary changes. And I'm not talking about skipping an island, I mean 3 days becoming 7 or 14 days becoming 5.

I tend to only read the board of the company I’m cruising with next and for a while I was cruising HAL so I’m out of the loop when it comes to Royal, Carnival and NCL. 
 

Definitely agree with your last statement. Makes me wonder if the other Italian line (Costa) is the same as MSC when it comes to those things. 
 

 

[alyssamma]

2 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I tend to only read the board of the company I’m cruising with next and for a while I was cruising HAL so I’m out of the loop when it comes to Royal, Carnival and NCL. 
 

Definitely agree with your last statement. Makes me wonder if the other Italian line (Costa) is the same as MSC when it comes to those things. 
 

 

Someone posted in another thread that this is an "Italian" thing and lots of businesses (including Costa) are the same. Don't have any evidence one way or the other about it.

 

I'm sailing Carnival in Nov, Celebrity in Feb, NCL in March and now RCCL in April (instead of MSC) so I'm looking at a bunch of boards 🙂

 

Sailed Carnival and RCCL before and enjoy them...in fact RCCL was my line of choice before I discovered MSC. Never cruised NCL before...and I suspect it will be my first and last (they really do nickel and dime you). First time for Celebrity too, but I have big hopes for them (booked on a B2B in May also so I'd better like them 🙂 )

 

[CaroleC]

31 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

And I'm not talking about skipping an island, I mean 3 days becoming 7 or 14 days becoming 5.

Our 11 night Canary Islands cruise last month on Royal’s Anthem of the Seas became a 6 night sailing around the UK. So it’s not just MSC. Having said that, we were given plenty of notice and the option to cancel with a full refund.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by CaroleC

[styles27]

@alyssammaI think you’ll love Celebrity (that is if cruising with them post pandemic is anything like pre pandemic) they’re top notch. 

 

 

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, CaroleC said:

Our 11 night Canary Islands cruise last month on Royal’s Anthem of the Seas became a 6 night sailing around the UK. So it’s not just MSC.

But...the 64K question...did they *tell* you about it beforehand?

[alyssamma]

Just now, styles27 said:

@alyssammaI think you’ll love Celebrity (that is if cruising with them post pandemic is anything like pre pandemic) they’re top notch. 

 

 

I think (and hope) so too...We are doing the Apex and then the Beyond for B2B...ships look amazing. And...I love to eat and having 4 MDRs, each with their own "extra" menu items is getting me excited 🙂

 

But yeah, I'm excited about the rest of the ship too 🙂 (but the food looks amazing!)

[CaroleC]

1 minute ago, alyssamma said:

But...the 64K question...did they *tell* you about it beforehand?

Yes. Just edited my post to say that lol.

[styles27]

16 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

I think (and hope) so too...We are doing the Apex and then the Beyond for B2B...ships look amazing. And...I love to eat and having 4 MDRs, each with their own "extra" menu items is getting me excited 🙂

 

But yeah, I'm excited about the rest of the ship too 🙂 (but the food looks amazing!)

I think Celebrity has the best food of all the lines we’ve cruised. (MSC, Carnival, RCCL, HAL, NCL and Princess)

The thing about Celebrity is their MDR food is just as good as the pay restaurants on the other lines.

It’s what cruise dining used to be on the rest.
Somehow they’ve been able to keep the food quality at a very high level. 
I mean their pricing reflects that I suppose. But you won’t be disappointed. 

[FOXYDEBBY]

12 hours ago, styles27 said:

12 hours ago, alyssamma said:

 

I think Celebrity has the best food of all the lines we’ve cruised. (MSC, Carnival, RCCL, HAL, NCL and Princess)

The thing about Celebrity is their MDR food is just as good as the pay restaurants on the other lines.

I have been on carnival, princess, costa, Bahamas paradise and celebrity and I agree, celebrity has the best food hands down. Carnival is my least favorite but I travel it the most because I love being at sea so I would rather do more cruises than 1 spectacular one lol. This will be my first time on MSC and even though I am going pretty basic to try them out, I am hoping for the best!!

[Morgsmom]

12 hours ago, styles27 said:

I think Celebrity has the best food of all the lines we’ve cruised.

Totally agree. The MDR food is fabulous on Celebrity.