Not a good start to first cruise experience with MSC Cruises

[wbingham]

I have three Royal Caribbean cruises booked for this year and wanted to find a quick and inexpensive option for a spring cruise and decided to give MSC a try.  Booked to sail on the Devina for a 4 day cruise departing May 1st, and I have to say my experience so far hasn't been great.  While the booking process through their sight was easy and didn't have any issues there, using their cruise planner to book other things has been a bad experience.

 

The fact that I am not able to cancel any packages I purchase online without calling them to cancel is ridiculous.  I purchased the Alcohol Free Beverage package but decided that I would go with the Easy Plus package instead since 3 of the 4 sailing days will be on ship or on their private island, so shouldn't have any problems drinking enough cocktails to make it worth it.  However, in order for me to change, I had to call them to cancel the existing package and pay for the new one.  I wasn't able to simply upgrade or anything like that.  To make it even more ridiculous, the refund will take 30 to 60 days to be refunded.  That's absurd that it takes them that long to issue the refund.  With Royal Caribbean, refunds on pre-booked packages are done in 7-14 days, so I'm not stuck paying finance charges for 2 months before the charge is refunded.

 

I'm generally a very laid back and relaxed person, but MSC customer service to this point has even my patience tested.  There is no excuse for taking 2 months to refund a $100 drinks package charge nor is there any excuse to not be able to cancel a cruise package using the same website you used to book it.  If the rest of my experience with MSC and this cruise is the same; I can say with confidence that this will be the first and last cruise I sail with them. 

 

To everyone else that doesn't know, keep in mind how long their refund process takes and make sure you are 100% certain what you want before you submit any payments for any bookings or add-ons with them.

[PTC DAWG]

We had hardly any wait for a refund recently..let it play out. May be much quicker than you think. 

[styles27]

@wbinghamWhen I called to cancel an excursion and book another I was told the same thing that the refund would take 30-60 days. 
 

I asked if I could have the refund as an OBC and the agent was able to process that immediately. 
 

We used it for the daily service charge so it worked out. 
 

You could call and request the same. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by styles27

[B_A_H]

IT is MSC's kryptonite.  Compared to most other cruise lines, what you can see and do in advance online is pretty sparse.  You can buy things like drink and specialty dining packages, internet packages, and spa services.  You can't schedule any of them until you're on the ship.  You can't upgrade an included or previously purchased package (EG: Browse to Browse & Stream, Easy to Easy Plus).  Canceling or modifying anything that was purchased in advance requires jumping through hoops and refunds can be horribly delayed.  

 

Helpful hint:  don't buy anything through the cruise planner unless you're 100% sure you want it and plan to use it exactly as purchased.  

 

Any change made to your booking causes it to reprice to today's rate and an auto-generated e-mail is sent out.  That just happened to me because the port charges dropped.  My cruise fare went up $1,000.  It's so common MSC has a dedicated e-mail set up for fixing it - mscexistingreservations@msccruisesusa.com.

 

Another common complaint is that what's showing confirmed via e-mailed confirmation or online may be different once you're on the ship.  For example, if a sailing is crowded they go from early/late in the MDR to early/mid/late. And the specified times for each of the three tiers can be different across dining rooms.  So there could be two early's, two mid's, and two late's for a total of six different dining times.  When they do, early is really early and late is really late.  Experiences vary as to how receptive the Maître D is in making changes onboard. Same thing with changing assigned tables even though you didn't know your table in advance.  Comparisons to the Soup *** from Seinfeld have been made.  It even affects YC.  You receive a full page of customization you can select.  The ship receives none of them. 

 

Helpful hint:  Aurea is a get out of jail free card from dining time hell because it comes with "anytime" dining which means the Maître D has to accommodate you.  

 

Let's just say interacting with MSC both pre-cruise and onboard is "quirky."  As they keep expanding perhaps that'll be an incentive to join the 21st century.    

[Georgia_Peaches]

I have two words:  travel agent. This is the only way with MSC. 

[mscdivina2016]

10 hours ago, wbingham said:

I have three Royal Caribbean cruises booked for this year and wanted to find a quick and inexpensive option for a spring cruise and decided to give MSC a try.  Booked to sail on the Devina for a 4 day cruise departing May 1st, and I have to say my experience so far hasn't been great.  While the booking process through their sight was easy and didn't have any issues there, using their cruise planner to book other things has been a bad experience.

 

The fact that I am not able to cancel any packages I purchase online without calling them to cancel is ridiculous.  I purchased the Alcohol Free Beverage package but decided that I would go with the Easy Plus package instead since 3 of the 4 sailing days will be on ship or on their private island, so shouldn't have any problems drinking enough cocktails to make it worth it.  However, in order for me to change, I had to call them to cancel the existing package and pay for the new one.  I wasn't able to simply upgrade or anything like that.  To make it even more ridiculous, the refund will take 30 to 60 days to be refunded.  That's absurd that it takes them that long to issue the refund.  With Royal Caribbean, refunds on pre-booked packages are done in 7-14 days, so I'm not stuck paying finance charges for 2 months before the charge is refunded.

 

I'm generally a very laid back and relaxed person, but MSC customer service to this point has even my patience tested.  There is no excuse for taking 2 months to refund a $100 drinks package charge nor is there any excuse to not be able to cancel a cruise package using the same website you used to book it.  If the rest of my experience with MSC and this cruise is the same; I can say with confidence that this will be the first and last cruise I sail with them. 

 

To everyone else that doesn't know, keep in mind how long their refund process takes and make sure you are 100% certain what you want before you submit any payments for any bookings or add-ons with them.

I might be willing to bet you don't get the refund.

Please check your pricing because as soon as you called you might have a new price.

Be prepared for this to be your last. For having a great product,the bs just makes you want to go elsewhere.

[ready2cruzagain]

My answer to you would be to remember that this is NOT Royal Caribbean. This is MSC and they do things their way, not the way other cruise lines do them.  We cancelled something before our last cruise and was told 2 months and received the refund in less than 2 weeks.

[TampaGambler]

First off, the refund is typically processed in a week.

 

Secondly, if you are having to pay finance charges on a $100 beverage package, you probably should rethink your decision to go on a cruise.

[wbingham]

1 hour ago, TampaGambler said:

First off, the refund is typically processed in a week.

 

Secondly, if you are having to pay finance charges on a $100 beverage package, you probably should rethink your decision to go on a cruise.

 

Don't assume people are using credit cards because they can't afford to pay for the cruise.

 

I typically pay the cruise with a credit card and then pay it off the same month.  I use Credit Card for everything that way to build up rewards points.  I very rarely ever end up paying any finance charges since I always pay full balance on my card every month.

 

In this scenario I now have to overpay my credit card only to go to a negative balance once MSC gets around to processing the refund or pay everything but the $104 and get charged interest for 1 or 2 cycles.  It's not any significant amount of $$, but it shouldn't take 30-60 days in the first place.

 

If the refund is typically processed quickly (within 1-2 weeks) then they need to state that vs saying that it will take one to two billing cycles, which they state is 30-60 days.

 

[carlmm]

Maybe you can relax a bit when you realize that MSC is an Italian company.

Have you been to Southern Europe?

It just is not Royal Caribbean which I would nowadays regard a very US-American line. 

Some things are done differently and with less urgency.

Do not worry. Things will sort out. 

Processes and style on board will also be different.

Edited February 14, 2023 by carlmm

[Morgsmom]

1 hour ago, wbingham said:

If the refund is typically processed quickly (within 1-2 weeks) then they need to state that vs saying that it will take one to two billing cycles, which they state is 30-60 days.

In my experience it's usually 60-90 days.  That's just the way they do it.  Lots of overseas red tape.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, wbingham said:

In this scenario I now have to overpay my credit card only to go to a negative balance once MSC gets around to processing the refund or pay everything but the $104 and get charged interest for 1 or 2 cycles.  It's not any significant amount of $$, but it shouldn't take 30-60 days in the first place.

it seems you are working yourself up into some high blood pressure for a very insignificant reason.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, wbingham said:

If the refund is typically processed quickly (within 1-2 weeks) then they need to state that vs saying that it will take one to two billing cycles, which they state is 30-60 days.

 

OK, the "thinking logically" mentality is going to cause a lot of headache when dealing with MSC. Most of us on the board have adjusted our brains to "think MSC" instead of thinking rationally when it comes to finances and MSC. It can be painful for experienced cruisers who have a reasonable expectation of how things should be handled. 

 

I've also gone through the MSC grinder when it comes to money matters. Sometimes, it's as little as $98. One time, it was over $3K. One time, MSC returned what they owed me in 11 days. One time, it took MSC 5 months to return what they owed me. 

 

I started sailing with MSC in 2018. I began with zero Voyager's Club points. I've never done any type of status match. I've reached the highest level of loyalty (Black/Diamond) just by sailing. One would think that I might be classified as a cheerleader but they would be wrong. 

 

I've had cruises canceled by both MSC and by me. I've had ships changed from the one that I booked to a completely different class of ship. I've had embarkation/disembarkation dates changed by 1 day (not a big deal since I drive to port as opposed to having to fly). I've had itineraries changed. I've had price increases after I had booked (the $3K increase which I didn't pay). In addition to all of the Covid changes with vaccination requirements/restrictions, excursion restrictions, etc., THE CRUISES THAT I HAVE BEEN ON HAVE BEEN GREAT.  

 

The kicker is, at least in my case, everything down to the penny that MSC has owed me has been returned to me. It may take time and some forum members have waited much longer than I have. Some are still waiting. 

 

I suggest not thinking of MSC as 1 entity. Think of MSC "when not on the ship" as one frustrating thing (website issues, app issues, package purchasing issues, etc.) and MSC "when ON the ship" as another thing. The two things don't know what the other is doing and that's just the way that it is. 

 

I understand trying to get things taken care of before the cruise so that things go smoothly on the ship but the "2 things" aren't connected. Sometimes, everything is great before boarding but the onboard experience is messed up. Much more common is that things are messed up before boarding but the onboard experience is great. 

 

In the words of George Carlin...

 

 

 

 

[TampaGambler]

3 hours ago, wbingham said:

 

Don't assume people are using credit cards because they can't afford to pay for the cruise.

 

I typically pay the cruise with a credit card and then pay it off the same month.  I use Credit Card for everything that way to build up rewards points.  I very rarely ever end up paying any finance charges since I always pay full balance on my card every month.

 

In this scenario I now have to overpay my credit card only to go to a negative balance once MSC gets around to processing the refund or pay everything but the $104 and get charged interest for 1 or 2 cycles.  It's not any significant amount of $$, but it shouldn't take 30-60 days in the first place.

 

If the refund is typically processed quickly (within 1-2 weeks) then they need to state that vs saying that it will take one to two billing cycles, which they state is 30-60 days.

 

 

Using a credit card to pay for a cruise doesn't mean you cannot afford to go on a cruise. However, charging $100 to the credit card and then getting charged finance charges, as you stated in your original post, does logically lead someone to believe they may need to rethink their finances. 

 

Yes, I will give you that if it did take 1/2 billing cycles to get a refund, that would be aggravating. However, all you have to do is pay the $100 as you normally would and then you get it back. If you cannot go without $100 for a month, well that brings me back to my original point, may be time to rethink your finances. 

 

If you spent 5k on the cruise and they were holding it hostage for a few months, that would be a different story. Getting all fired up over having to possibly  wait for a $100 refund seems like overkill. I think that is the point people are trying to make here. 

 

Well, that and is MSC is what it is.... Regardless, you will have a good time on your cruise. 

 

[hamrag]

17 hours ago, wbingham said:

I have three Royal Caribbean cruises booked for this year and wanted to find a quick and inexpensive option for a spring cruise and decided to give MSC a try.  Booked to sail on the Devina for a 4 day cruise departing May 1st, and I have to say my experience so far hasn't been great....

 

.....That's absurd that it takes them that long to issue the refund.  With Royal Caribbean, refunds on pre-booked packages are done in 7-14 days, so I'm not stuck paying finance charges for 2 months before the charge is refunded.

 

.....If the rest of my experience with MSC and this cruise is the same; I can say with confidence that this will be the first and last cruise I sail with them.... 

The evidence is clear that you have already set yourself up for a 'poor' MSC cruise! Best to stick with RCI going forward. 🙄

[Ianna]

MSC possibly the worst cruise line I have ever been on. I still have an issue going through ABTA in the UK.

[PTC DAWG]

9 minutes ago, Ianna said:

MSC possibly the worst cruise line I have ever been on. I still have an issue going through ABTA in the UK.

My Yacht Club experience 3 weeks ago on Meraviglia for a week says otherwise.  As Tony the Tiger would put it, it was great!

[B_A_H]

@Ianna's experience or one's like them have been shared by quite a few people on the forum.  MSC doesn't do IT, payment processing, cruise moves, or refunds well. Pretty much anything that ends up being an exception is going to be rough going with lots of follow-up to get resolved. 

 

In all my cruises with them I've run in to some annoyances that were worked through vs. really big issues like @Ianna and @mscdivina2016 have experienced.  But caveat emptor.  Any of us could end up on the wrong side of an MSC exception at any time.  As they say, you spin the wheel and take your chances. 😉 

[wbingham]

5 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

it seems you are working yourself up into some high blood pressure for a very insignificant reason.

 

I'm not physically getting angry or anything over the issue at all.  The $100 and any credit card stuff that go with it are all small enough that it's not any sort of financial issue for me at all.  I simply was expressing my experience as a first time MSC cruiser with their pre-cruise planning process to add to the discussion for others that may be considering trying them out.  Everybody's experience is going to be different based upon different criteria, but providing the feedback to the cruise community helps people compile the data and decide if it's worth it or not for them.

 

It's unfortunate because the actual cruise price was really great ($320 total for 4 night cruise, not including drink package), so I honestly can't complain there.  I'm not going to find another week long vacation with room, all you can eat food, and drinks for ~ $500 anywhere.  It's just sad that the customer service experience outside of the cruise itself has been bad.  

 

They started the cancellation process on the first drink package, and I've already bought the upgraded one and paid the remainder of the cruise balance; so, at this point it all is hopefully dealt with and I'll get the $104 back at some point without further issues.  Here is to hope that the actual cruise experience itself (embarkation, cruise, and disembarkation) all goes well to make the rest feel worth it.  It's definitely going to be an uphill climb for MSC though to convince me to give them another shot.

[carlmm]

38 minutes ago, wbingham said:

It's just sad that the customer service experience outside of the cruise itself has been bad.  

 

 

Still, that is really your perception.  I am sorry you feel so bad.

Taking a step back, I do not see any bad customer service.

>Customer decides to buy a product, gets the product and pays the price.

>Settled.

>Later customer remorses, wants to give the product back and demands a refund.

>Seller accepts and agrees to refund. The refund will be processed in line with the usual companies processes and timelines. (Some people even have experienced a faster than promised processing time.)

>Fine. Perfect. Done.

[RD64]

7 hours ago, carlmm said:

Maybe you can relax a bit when you realize that MSC is an Italian company.

Have you been to Southern Europe?

It just is not Royal Caribbean which I would nowadays regard a very US-American line. 

Some things are done differently and with less urgency.

Do not worry. Things will sort out. 

Processes and style on board will also be different.

It is a good thing that the original poster has never had to live / work in Italy. Vacationing doesn’t count. The amount of paper work - permits to be signed can be staggering. You want to build a house, be prepared as it will take you years to get all of the t’s crossed and the i’s dotted - and that is if you are a resident.

 

You want to get married? It is a bureaucratic nightmare for those of us with that regular North American mentality. Just an example, a few years back when my cousin (Italian citizen, has always lived in Italy) had to get a permit for the music to be played at the reception - because it was an outdoor reception. This was in addition to many other necessary permits. Trying to do this in the summer when 75% of Italians are off enjoying their month long vacations, and the other 25% don’t work past 12:30 PM is definitely a challenge - but just the way it is.

 

[RD64]

If you are worried about the $104 refund just remember that at some point it will be a bonus - you will get the refund and your overall credit card bill will be less than you expected.

[B_A_H]

Hey @wbingham, sorry you got beat up in this thread.  I recently booked a Princess and Celebrity cruise and their online personalizers were both so comprehensive, easy to understand, and flexible that I can understand your culture shock using MSC's for the first time.  If you're used to those types of personalizers it's understandable to expect they are the norm. As you've found out, MSC marches to a different drum.

 

Those of us that regularly book with MSC are used to their quirks and idiosyncrasies.  Welcome, you're one of us now. 😉

 

I did the 4 night Meraviglia in October.  It was a great cruise and I didn't have any problems personally and everyone seemed generally happy. You'll find the ship to be drop dead gorgeous and impeccably maintained. One thing MSC does better than anyone is keep their ships in excellent condition. The themes in the staterooms and public areas run darker and more European than the bold bright colored atmosphere you may be used to from RCI. 

 

So you'll know, short cruises in general are rowdy and if your cruise is full you're likely to have the same service issues people in other forums are reporting when a ship is at capacity.  Sadly, it's the new normal.  You'll also, without question, run in to MSC's quirkiness during your cruise.  You have two choices.  Roll with it and think "well, that's different" or you can spend 4 days analyzing everything and saying "that's not the way RCI did/does it."

 

You'll be miserable if you do the latter and have a much better time adopting the former.  MSC's quirks make them not for everyone but even if this ends up being your only cruise with them you'll have had a different experience and hopefully some fun.  MSC isn't for everyone and it'll be fun hearing about your first MSC experience either from the ship or once you return. 

 

P.S. - I canceled the Princess cruise for a World Europa sailing and the Celebrity cruise to go on the Seaview; all were in Europe.  My decision was based on all the cutback threads in their respective forums. Ironically, it seems MSC is upping their game, especially with food, while everyone else is bean counting. 

 

 

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

20 hours ago, wbingham said:

I'm not going to find another week long vacation with room, all you can eat food, and drinks for ~ $500 anywhere

Actually one can, "According to the study, these overall program costs for providing housing and services in an emergency shelter setting can vary widely, from $581 a month for an individual in Des Moines, IA, to as high as $3,530 for a family in Washington, DC."

Now if your from DC, you could get a suite.

[Sadebud]

@wbinghamFWIW, we sailed on the Mera in January...1st time on MSC.  We had many issues with their website, IT, customer service before hand.  We were a group of 7.  We ALL decided MSC would be a one and done because of it.  Then we sailed.  We truly enjoyed the cruise, the service (bar service was a little spotty and wonky) was good, staff very friendly and the food was much better than reported on these MSC boards.  We are actually considering longer cruises now with MSC. Hope same goes for you.