Ugh-Refund Question

[MsTabbyKats]

How long are refunds taking if you cancel a cruise?  The rep said "60 days".

 

I canceled an April 2023 cruise because the rep (and her superior) could not figure out how to adjust my price so I'd get the same price the website is showing.

After being on hold for about half an hour I decided it would be easier to cancel and rebook....but I'd like to wait for the refund first.

 

If this is what I have to go thru after each price adjustment (it's a year out...probably many before final payment) maybe booking "right before the cruise" would be a better option.

[jcathers1]

You are referring to how long it will take to get your deposit returned? It will take several weeks, based on my experience. 

 

The idea of waiting until closer to your cruise to book only works if the price goes down (and if the room/class you want are still available). If it goes up, you'd be better to book sooner (and you'll have a better selection). Really, what you want is to book it at the exact time when the price is lowest, which of course, no one knows. 

[MsTabbyKats]

@jcathers1

 

Thanks....I know about the price fluctuations.  My issue is that dealing with MSC is impossible.  With other cruise lines you see a price reduction...you call...you get the reduction.

 

I don't think I set the bar high....or my expectations are above and beyond.

 

Compared to my other booked cruises on other lines, this price right now is high.  I wanted a specific cabin.  But it's easier for me to deal with "wherever I land" than unhelpful helpers!

 

I'll wait the 60 days....or more...to rebook.

[Homosassa]

20 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

@jcathers1

 

Thanks....I know about the price fluctuations.  My issue is that dealing with MSC is impossible.  With other cruise lines you see a price reduction...you call...you get the reduction.

 

I don't think I set the bar high....or my expectations are above and beyond.

 

Compared to my other booked cruises on other lines, this price right now is high.  I wanted a specific cabin.  But it's easier for me to deal with "wherever I land" than unhelpful helpers!

 

I'll wait the 60 days....or more...to rebook.

Part of the way  MSC maintains its fare structure (what some people label as cheap cruises), is by tightly controlling fare churning by the booked passengers.

 

All the information is contained in MSC's Terms and Conditions.  Reading the T&C may help you understand why MSC you can not lightly churn your fare by just a phone call.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/usa/documents/booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf

[MsTabbyKats]

9 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Part of the way  MSC maintains its fare structure (what some people label as cheap cruises), is by tightly controlling fare churning by the booked passengers.

 

All the information is contained in MSC's Terms and Conditions.  Reading the T&C may help you understand why MSC you can not lightly churn your fare by just a phone call.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/usa/documents/booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf

LOL...I should read 25 pages?  A 30 minute...."hold on"...was too time consuming for me.

 

I generally don't book so far in advance, but I wanted the same cabin I had in 2019. (I'm still waiting to book my June 2022 cruise!)

 

IMHO...if they don't want churning....there should be a price....one price only...and not introduce "deals".

[Two Wheels Only]

My best deposit return was 19 days.

My worst deposit return was 31 days.

 

My excursion refund is going to be "2 billing cycles" but that hasn't past, yet. We'll see....

[Homosassa]

2 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

LOL...I should read 25 pages?  A 30 minute...."hold on"...was too time consuming for me.

 

I generally don't book so far in advance, but I wanted the same cabin I had in 2019. (I'm still waiting to book my June 2022 cruise!)

 

IMHO...if they don't want churning....there should be a price....one price only...and not introduce "deals".

Really?  You must be joking.

 

If you can not take the time to read the easily available Terms and Conditions to understand the conditions of the contract you are entering into, it is not MSC's fault if the reality is different from your idea of a cruise booking.

 

By the way, many cruise lines have taken steps to stop the fare churning. Some of the ways are nonrefundable deposits, pushing final payment out from the actual cruise date, and restrictions on obtaining price drops and OBC.

 

By the way, if you are not familiar with the booking procedures of Viking Ocean, check them out.

 

It is a cruise line that does not honor price drops (what you book is what you pay) and final payment is a year out from the cruise (sometimes six months).

 

And yet their product is in such demand the the ships are usually  fully booked at over a year out.

 

One of the benefits of a cruise line controlling the amount of fare churning is the resulting quality of the product.  If a cruise line can accurately project the amount of per diem available to spend on the passenger experience,  then they don't need to assume that bargain basement passenger nickel and diming will leave them with only the money to provide a low quality cruise experience (Carnival vs Viking Ocean). 

 

You do get what you pay for.

[MsTabbyKats]

@Homosassa

I'll have my lawyer look over those terms and conditions.  It's above my pay scale.🙂

But, to put it bluntly....I don't pay more for a product if I can get it for less.  That's being an educated consumer....not nickel and diming.

 

 

 

[jcathers1]

48 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

@Homosassa

I'll have my lawyer look over those terms and conditions.  It's above my pay scale.🙂

But, to put it bluntly....I don't pay more for a product if I can get it for less.  That's being an educated consumer....not nickel and diming.

 

 

 

An educated consumer? You just told us you're refusing to read the T&C document, while simultaneously complaining that it didn't meet your expectations (which were apparently not not based on any actual information). Ha. 

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, jcathers1 said:

An educated consumer? You just told us you're refusing to read the T&C document, while simultaneously complaining that it didn't meet your expectations (which were apparently not not based on any actual information). Ha. 

I'm waiting for the Cliff Notes to come out.

 

[perakcruiser]

12 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Thanks....I know about the price fluctuations.  My issue is that dealing with MSC is impossible.  With other cruise lines you see a price reduction...you call...you get the reduction.

 

MSC (as most other non-US cruise lines) is setting the punishment for cancelling a booking so high that in almost no case you get any advantage by cancelling and rebooking. Maybe because of legal reasons this is not so easy for the cruise lines in the US market, so only in the US market the things are different. As @Homosassa said: Part of the way  MSC maintains its fare structure (what some people label as cheap cruises), is by tightly controlling fare churning by the booked passengers.

 

Why should they help you to reduce your fare? At least they should annoy you a little bit and make things complicated 😄  

 

[CruiserG79]

Still waiting for my refund (complete payment was done) from the cancelled Magnifica cruise in January... Hotline is not very helpful.

 

I am on a list of people asking for a refund, but they can't or wont tell when it will be refunden.

 

Then again that's a bit different from your question, but well... It's MSC, you will never know until you really receive the money.

[MsTabbyKats]

4 hours ago, CruiserG79 said:

Still waiting for my refund (complete payment was done) from the cancelled Magnifica cruise in January... Hotline is not very helpful.

 

I am on a list of people asking for a refund, but they can't or wont tell when it will be refunden.

 

Then again that's a bit different from your question, but well... It's MSC, you will never know until you really receive the money.

The funny thing is "a cruise concierge" called today to ask if I had any questions about my cruise.  I asked her "where was she yesterday?"....and of course she apologized etc...and reiterated that the refund could take up to 2 billing cycles.

 

This was to be a Meraviglia cruise.  We were on her Oct 2019 and we had such a good time that the day after we got home I booked the same trip/cabin for Oct 2020.  We know how that went.  In Mach 2022  I found out the ship was coming back to NY...I booked the same cabin for April 2023.

 

But, honestly....should booking a cruise should require reading a 25 page document explaining the rules?  Or dealing with agents that are clueless?  I expect to make a call and have things done for me.  I'm paying for it...their service is part of my expense (whether it's Carnival or Viking) and it's paying their salaries.

 

MSC may not do things the American way now....but,  if they want to be successful in the American market they should "Americanize".

 

Anyway....I probably will hold off rebooking until a month before the cruise.  If I can't get "that cabin" there's no point in booking earlier.  That will be 10 billing cycles!

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

48 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

MSC may not do things the American way now....but,  if they want to be successful in the American market they should "Americanize".

I can recall my first American cruise on MSC on Divina back in 2015 and how indifferent the employees were. That has definitely changed; my most recent cruise last week there was friendliness and helpfulness everywhere. So IMO, they've come along way. But I agree their phone customer service is lousy and inconsistent with too many functions delegated back to their offices in Italy.

Edited May 6, 2022 by KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

[Homosassa]

13 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

 

 

But, honestly....should booking a cruise should require reading a 25 page document explaining the rules?  Or dealing with agents that are clueless?  I expect to make a call and have things done for me.  I'm paying for it...their service is part of my expense (whether it's Carnival or Viking) and it's paying their salaries.

 

 

And that is the problem is a nutshell.

 

The information is provided by all cruise lines for the passengers to read and understand  the contract that they are entering into.

 

That is why there is usually a section on the online check about reading the documents   that you must answer yes to in order to continue.

 

As far as "Americanizing," what standard are you referring to? Is it Carnival or is it Viking Ocean?

 

Both sell to North Americans and each have very different Terms and Conditions.

 

If you prefer the Carnival standard, book Carnival.

 

If you wish to expand your travel horizons and learn that there is a cruise world outside the USA bottom tier lines, you will need to become an educated consumer and research your trip.

 

By the way, I do read the T&C  (or whatever name is used by other cruise lines) and whatever other information is available before booking a new line and skim to see changes that might have occurred since I last cruised with the line.

 

It is part of knowing the product I am buying without depending on a brief phone call where only the highlights of that particular cruise booking may be given.

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

 

If you wish to expand your travel horizons and learn that there is a cruise world outside the USA bottom tier lines, you will need to become an educated consumer and research your trip.

 

I got married at 37; my husband was 50.  Prior to that I traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East and South America.  That's besides the trips to the Caribbean, Florida and the West Coast.  My husband, before coming to NYC lived in the Middle East, Europe and Canada...he was a permanent resident/citizen of 5 countries and is fluent in 3 languages.  Our horizons are expanded a lot more than "getting off in a port for 6 hours".

 

I am now a (breast) cancer survivor....2 advanced degrees....and 73 years of "life experience and research" behind me.  All I want is an agent at a call center to do what he/she is being paid for....answer the phone and give correct information.  NCL can do it; Carnival can do it.  Why can't MSC.

 

Just wondering....do you think anyone else went thru 25 pages to "Terms of Service"?

 

Enuf said about "when will I get a refund?".   I only wanted an estimate of the current refund timing (which I got from polite people)...not a lecture about my lack of research for an 8 day cruise.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by MsTabbyKats

[J13C85]

I too had refund issues with MSC.  Like OP, I was also on Meraviglia in 2019 (YC 10 days to NE/Can).  Had an amazing time (despite breaking three ribs and my shoulder the day before we boarded).  Anyway, we booked a YC cruise for Oct of 23 in April.  One of the ports was Genoa and my wife and I were going to renew our vows. Tried to log into my cruise and could not access it.  Tried to search for the cruise on their website and it was gone. Called MSC and they told me my cruise was cancelled.  I asked about getting a refund for and was placed on hold for an HOUR.  Hung up, called back, and a different agent told me the cruise was still in place but it was hidden. I did not believe her and told her to cancel my cruise.  She did but said because it was yacht club, it was non refundable. I told her there was no way they were keeping my deposit for a cruise over 600 days out when they told me it was cancelled.  She promised me a callback from a manager (I never recd).  Wound up disputing it with credit card company and got my money returned that way.  Personally  while the YC experience was amazing, I need the flexibility of getting a refund if I am booking this far out.  Wound up booking a suite on Celebrity for Nov of 2023 (fully refundable deposit) Lastly, the cruise I booked on MSC is still not on their web page (I searched right before I started typing this novel  lol).

[HipHipOnAShip]

On 5/4/2022 at 11:20 AM, MsTabbyKats said:

IMHO...if they don't want churning....there should be a price....one price only...and not introduce "deals".

Fares change constantly with hotels, airlines, car rentals, etc.  Why should cruises be any different?  People book far in advance to get a ship/sailing/cabin they want.   Same with airfares.  If the price goes down the airline doesn't give a credit or OBC.  Why should cruiselines?  

 

As far as not booking a cruise (one month out) if you don't get the one specific cabin you are looking for.. well, I'm thinking that's going to work out too well.  (PS, MSC often changes cabins, which is at their discretion...)

[phissy]

We normally book our cruises 1-2 years out. 
We booked 4 new cruises with MSC right after our Iceland cruise got cancelled due to pandemic.
We asked and received refund for that cancellation which included entire payment as it was within 1 month of departure.

We realized that MSC offering FCC with 25% bonus would drive up fares. 

Our cruises booked  at very good rates.
Since then, MSC changed and altered one  reservation and required we pay increase in fare.
 One cruise changed from 15 day to 7 and 8 day cruises. Increase was $2,000. 

Another 12 day was cancelled and MSC moved us to different month, itinerary and ship. Became 7 day with increase in fare, again. We requested refund for that deposit and received it.

Next one was 15 day which MSC removed from site. One week later , it became a 12 day cruise. We had to call and get our old booking number and cabin reassigned to new cruise. MSC tried to increase our fare on that one but our TA pushed back and kept our “ original” fare.

Final payment for this cruise is July 11.  

This will probably be our last cruise with MSC, for awhile.

 

[phissy]

3 hours ago, HipHipOnAShip said:

  People book far in advance to get a ship/sailing/cabin they want.   Same with airfares.  If the price goes down the airline doesn't give a credit or OBC.  Why should cruiselines?  

 

Actually, most US airlines do offer free change and cancel. We do it often. Difference goes into our “wallet” with airlines, to be used for future purchases.  

[cellfree]

Cancelled a September 2022 cruise three weeks ago and refund showed up on my credit card a couple days ago, was pleased.

[MsTabbyKats]

23 hours ago, HipHipOnAShip said:

Fares change constantly with hotels, airlines, car rentals, etc.  Why should cruises be any different?  People book far in advance to get a ship/sailing/cabin they want.   Same with airfares.  If the price goes down the airline doesn't give a credit or OBC.  Why should cruiselines?  

 

As far as not booking a cruise (one month out) if you don't get the one specific cabin you are looking for.. well, I'm thinking that's going to work out too well.  (PS, MSC often changes cabins, which is at their discretion...)

The refund took about a month.

As far as rebooking (and I do want the specific sailing) if they move my cabin (they already did on the original booking but changed it back when I spotted the move) then I don't see any reason "not to get a guarantee".  I really don't want to deal with MSC customer service.  So unless there's some spectacular sale....it's gonna be a late booking for me!