Poor communication of changes

[Zephyr173]

Final payment arrives, and our journey is nowhere to be found whether on MSC For Me or even my TA’s resources. So, I log in to MSC with the booking number and discover that embarkation/debarkation ports are changed,  as are a few items of the itinerary.   

Yet, neither my TA nor I received any notice whatsoever.  Why ?
I find that’s a lack of proper communication. 

The cruise in question was to depart Pointe-à-Pitre on 13 February 2022.  It is apparently set to depart from Philipsburg.  There are other changes from the previous journey, that arènes t to avoid French territories struggling with COVID. 
 

 

 

 

[styles27]

You know it’s not only MSC I’m still sitting at the airport in Providence RI USA waiting for my 1:00pm flight on Southwest Airlines to Tampa and it’s 3 1/2 hrs late. Not one notification from the airline telling me it’s late. Had I not been anal about checking it all morning I wouldn’t have known despite being signed up for alerts and flight notifications. Every passenger around us is saying the same. No notice of the 3 1/2 hrs delay. 
 

These companies know they have us by the neck. Not even fun to go on vacation anymore. It’s stressful.  

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

6 hours ago, Zephyr173 said:

The cruise in question was to depart Pointe-à-Pitre on 13 February 2022.  It is apparently set to depart from Philipsburg.  There are other changes from the previous journey, that arènes t to avoid French territories struggling with COVID. 

I did see that change mentioned somewhere recently but certainly MSC should have informed you of such a significant change. With the cruise now departing from so far north, the deep southern Caribbean ports such as St. Vincent and Trinidad have been axed. Certainly not as exciting as it was when we sailed the route in 2019 on Preziosa.

 

 

 

 

[phissy]

Posted by 

MSCDivina2016 

MSC has stuck it to me, again  Thread 

Posted November 1

MSC has moved my March 12, 2022 B2B cruise to February on the Seaview. The cruise now sails on February 13-27th out of a different country as well and they have not even told me yet.

 Just discovered that their moving me makes it impossible for me to take my 1 week cruise in YC that sails February 19-26th.

 

SO I called and asked to be lifted and shifted to any cruise in January or early February at the same category and price. Nope!!!  I have requested a supervisor to call me be we know how thatworks out.

 

Steve

Edited November 8, 2021 by phissy

[Kat747]

Their Customer Service is ab terrible. We are on a Caribbean cruise on Seashore in March 22. Only because of posts on here we rechecked our booking to find the itinerary had completely changed with two at sea days and 2 days at their island. On top of this they’ve removed our reserved cabin in YC deluxe cabin category and replaced it with guarantee cabin. We spoke with customer service yesterday and they did apologise and say we should have received an email last week confirming all the changes but obviously we didn’t hence the call. We have now cancelled the cruise and they can keep the deposit. We will never sail with MSC again. There is so much choice out there and although everyone understands we are coming out of a pandemic they really need to update the basics of their Customer Service!!

[perakcruiser]

30 minutes ago, Kat747 said:

Only because of posts on here we rechecked our booking to find the itinerary had completely changed with two at sea days and 2 days at their island. On top of this they’ve removed our reserved cabin in YC deluxe cabin category and replaced it with guarantee cabin.

Good you canceled, I think you are too picky for MSC style cruising.

 

Itinerary changes were also common before the pandemic, how many times MSC dropped Tunis from the Med cruises ... 😄

 

Any yes, they are not keen to tell you. Well as long as they not change your boarding date and harbour ...

 

Change too guarantee is annoying for sure but usually one will not get something worse and I would see it as a good chance for free upgrade.

 

[Kat747]

We are certainly not too picky for MSC cruises perakcruiser. We have been on many of their cruises but when you are spending thousands of pounds I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect some basic customer service. Also just to point out we booked our cruise because of the places it was visiting and were not looking for sea days and 2 days at their island. I hope that is a bit clearer for you 

[perakcruiser]

7 minutes ago, Kat747 said:

but when you are spending thousands of pounds I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect some basic customer service.

Sure, if you have booked YC it is serious money you have paid and that changes your expectations. Fully understand this. 

[sidari]

1 hour ago, Kat747 said:

Their Customer Service is ab terrible. We are on a Caribbean cruise on Seashore in March 22. Only because of posts on here we rechecked our booking to find the itinerary had completely changed with two at sea days and 2 days at their island. On top of this they’ve removed our reserved cabin in YC deluxe cabin category and replaced it with guarantee cabin. We spoke with customer service yesterday and they did apologise and say we should have received an email last week confirming all the changes but obviously we didn’t hence the call. We have now cancelled the cruise and they can keep the deposit. We will never sail with MSC again. There is so much choice out there and although everyone understands we are coming out of a pandemic they really need to update the basics of their Customer Service!!

Kat747 ... Most people are with you on the issue of lack of contact and very poor customer service when changes are made and just one reason why CC can be a Gold mine of Information, there have been many past posts where posters have said that MSC need to stop treating their customers as cargo and begin treating them like Customers but it seems it still persists to this day.

The changes are beyond the control of MSC with the French islands and hence the reason for the changes though two days at O.C would not be my particular favourite choice.

During the first Divina transatlantic to Miami we met a family from Australia who were onboard and had never been told of the changes made to the end of the cruise which missed out Nassau so they could go into Port Miami with no other ships there a day early for a media photoshoot, the family were not impressed after traveling to Venice for the start of the cruise and finding out once we were in the Caribbean.

[dexddd]

13 hours ago, styles27 said:

You know it’s not only MSC I’m still sitting at the airport in Providence RI USA waiting for my 1:00pm flight on Southwest Airlines to Tampa and it’s 3 1/2 hrs late. Not one notification from the airline telling me it’s late. Had I not been anal about checking it all morning I wouldn’t have known despite being signed up for alerts and flight notifications. Every passenger around us is saying the same. No notice of the 3 1/2 hrs delay. 
 

These companies know they have us by the neck. Not even fun to go on vacation anymore. It’s stressful.  

Hopefully you made it after you already had a flight issue and had to switch.

 

Your last sentence can't be anymore relevant these days.  Those of us going back to cruising, especially if we don't live by Port, takes a lot of planning and stress.

 

We thought we were set when we all passed test two days prior only to get on plane and mechanical Issue. Got in line, told it would be 30 hours before AA could get us to Florida.  Put us on Delta, oh no, cant do that.  We did ourselves and paid high fare.  AA has not yet refunded fare and only gave $125 courtesy. 

 

We have a bunch of miles yet to burn with AA but won't spend any more there and their credit card won't be renewed.

 

BTW, we did get about 7 alerts but all wrong.  We were exiting the plane and message we'd be leaving in five minutes.  Garbage in, garbage out.

[styles27]

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Hopefully you made it after you already had a flight issue and had to switch.

 

Your last sentence can't be anymore relevant these days.  Those of us going back to cruising, especially if we don't live by Port, takes a lot of planning and stress.

 

We thought we were set when we all passed test two days prior only to get on plane and mechanical Issue. Got in line, told it would be 30 hours before AA could get us to Florida.  Put us on Delta, oh no, cant do that.  We did ourselves and paid high fare.  AA has not yet refunded fare and only gave $125 courtesy. 

 

We have a bunch of miles yet to burn with AA but won't spend any more there and their credit card won't be renewed.

 

BTW, we did get about 7 alerts but all wrong.  We were exiting the plane and message we'd be leaving in five minutes.  Garbage in, garbage out.

Thank you we did make it finally landed in Tampa at 9:30pm (originally was supposed to land @4:45 pm 

 

Sounds like you had a very similar situation as us. At that point you’ll pay anything just to get on a flight…that’s exactly how we were feeling.
 

Southwest made an announcement that they were offering $100 vouchers for our inconvenience but you had to wait in line to get them and the line was at least 100 people deep. Why not just email the voucher to everyone?  Needless to say we passed on that offer. 

The way the airlines are operating I would recommend everyone fly in at least 48 hrs before embarking on a cruise. I’m so glad we have a week here before boarding Divina. 
 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

The changes are beyond the control of MSC with the French islands

however, communicating the changes is certainly within their control. But... they choose not to.

[hamrag]

27 minutes ago, styles27 said:

....Southwest made an announcement that they were offering $100 vouchers for our inconvenience but you had to wait in line to get them and the line was at least 100 people deep. Why not just email the voucher to everyone?....

 

So that most everyone would do as you did, considering it not worth the hassle for such a miserly voucher amount! 😉

[JAGR]

1 minute ago, hamrag said:

 

So that most everyone would do as you did, considering it not worth the hassle for such a miserly voucher amount! 😉

Indeed!  There is a madness to their methods!😉

[phissy]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

Thank you we did make it finally landed in Tampa at 9:30pm (originally was supposed to land @4:45 pm 

 

Sounds like you had a very similar situation as us. At that point you’ll pay anything just to get on a flight…that’s exactly how we were feeling.
 

Southwest made an announcement that they were offering $100 vouchers for our inconvenience but you had to wait in line to get them and the line was at least 100 people deep. Why not just email the voucher to everyone?  Needless to say we passed on that offer. 

The way the airlines are operating I would recommend everyone fly in at least 48 hrs before embarking on a cruise. I’m so glad we have a week here before boarding Divina. 
 

So glad you made it ! 
we have also had issues with air travel during the summer. So many changed flights and cancellations 

We are flying on Thursday, for our cruise on Saturday.
With international travel now happening, it will be interesting how crowded the airports are.

Giving ourselves time for IROPS.

[styles27]

5 minutes ago, phissy said:

So glad you made it ! 
we have also had issues with air travel during the summer. So many changed flights and cancellations 

We are flying on Thursday, for our cruise on Saturday.
With international travel now happening, it will be interesting how crowded the airports are.

Giving ourselves time for IROPS.

Thank you! Safe travels to you guys too! 
 

[sidari]

3 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

however, communicating the changes is certainly within their control. But... they choose not to.

Which is exactly was I said in my post.

[Zephyr173]

Incidentally, I'm travelling with a couple of friends, who are sharing a cabin.

 

Along with the change of port calls, my friends now have «guaranteed» staterooms.  They had booked YIN.  Does anyone know if they will remain in YC.  If not, that would defeat the purpose of travelling with friends in YC.

 

For our part, we had booked a YIN on deck 16, and have been heaved to a YIN-H on deck 18.  I have no issue with that, other than I fear we could be bumped around to accommodate guests who truly need a H stateroom.

 

Again, all this with no warning.  I make the final payment, and there it is on the confirmation.

 

Grrr.

[hamrag]

33 minutes ago, Zephyr173 said:

.....my friends now have «guaranteed» staterooms.  They had booked YIN.  Does anyone know if they will remain in YC....

Yes, they will, having a guarantee of a YIN cabin as a minimum! 😉

[mscdivina2016]

On 11/7/2021 at 3:46 PM, Zephyr173 said:

Final payment arrives, and our journey is nowhere to be found whether on MSC For Me or even my TA’s resources. So, I log in to MSC with the booking number and discover that embarkation/debarkation ports are changed,  as are a few items of the itinerary.   

Yet, neither my TA nor I received any notice whatsoever.  Why ?
I find that’s a lack of proper communication. 

The cruise in question was to depart Pointe-à-Pitre on 13 February 2022.  It is apparently set to depart from Philipsburg.  There are other changes from the previous journey, that arènes t to avoid French territories struggling with COVID. 

Welcome to MSC. 🙄

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by mscdivina2016

[mscdivina2016]

16 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

 

 

Change too guarantee is annoying for sure but usually one will not get something worse and I would see it as a good chance for free upgrade.

 

Really?   My Yacht club Grand suite was taken away and I was given a regular Balcony on deck 8 with no reduction in fare.  If I don't like it, cancel.

 

[Beamafar]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:10 AM, perakcruiser said:

Change too guarantee is annoying for sure but usually one will not get something worse and I would see it as a good chance for free upgrade.

 

That remains to be seen in our case, P.  I snagged a YIN H cabin which has now gone ‘guarantee’.   A downgrade will be being assigned a regular YIN (which, technically, is all we’ll be entitled to), so that will be something worse if that happens.  From the few reports on here, so far, people have not been reassigned the original cabins they booked, so I’m not optimistic that we’ll get our booked cabin back. 

[JAGR]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

I’m not optimistic that we’ll get our booked cabin back. 

Keep a bit of optimism!  We've not heard anything back from MSC on our room yet.   Not sure if they've sorted this cruise out at all yet.

[dexddd]

22 hours ago, phissy said:

So glad you made it ! 
we have also had issues with air travel during the summer. So many changed flights and cancellations 

We are flying on Thursday, for our cruise on Saturday.
With international travel now happening, it will be interesting how crowded the airports are.

Giving ourselves time for IROPS.

I just read article in WSJ about US letting international people back in.  Don't hold me exact, but Delta said they saw a 415% increase in bookings.  If that was from 1 person to 5, idk, but airports will be busier.

[styles27]

1 minute ago, dexddd said:

I just read article in WSJ about US letting international people back in.  Don't hold me exact, but Delta said they saw a 415% increase in bookings.  If that was from 1 person to 5, idk, but airports will be busier.

I believe it. Tampa was packed on Sunday night when we landed. The gate agent told us they were backed up and that people at our gate were supposed to have left at 2:15pm, they rerouted them. 
 

We fly to Tampa a lot and have never seen the airport as busy that late on a Sunday. 
I’m dreading our flight home after the cruise. 11/21 out of Orlando on JetBlue 11:56am  (4days before Thanksgiving)

 

I have visions of us having to rent a car and driving 22 hrs home 🙈