YC gratuity questions and another

[Linda W.]

Since the YC comes with premium beverage package do they add a gratuity per drink?  Can you prepay the daily gratuities prior to cruise and then tip as wanted extra to the staff that you really appreciated?  Just booked yesterday and have never been on MSC so trying to figure it all out.  Used to booking a cruise with prepaid gratuities.  Thanks for the help!  I didn't book, by the way, a package other than the 'cruise only" package since I was booking the YC so I am guessing there will be additional charges??

[JAGR]

With YC, there is no added charge on any drink you get.  I have not figured out how to prepay the service charge.  Just know that it will be $14.00/person/day. and budget accordingly.  The service charge is the only additional charge, and is the same rate for YC as for all other classes of travel.

Edited March 11, 2023 by JAGR

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Not that it's an issue either way, but does MSC have stateroom cleaning once or twice daily?

 

Interesting that the $14/pp/pd is the same for all categories. That's usually not the case (on other lines).

 

Tom

[JAGR]

32 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Not that it's an issue either way, but does MSC have stateroom cleaning once or twice daily?

 

Interesting that the $14/pp/pd is the same for all categories. That's usually not the case (on other lines).

 

Tom

We've only done YC in the last three years.  There, room cleaning was done twice daily.  I think that it is still twice a day for all rooms, at least on US sailings. The same rate is unusual, but so is MSC!  They also do not recommend tipping individual staff, but I would wager that most of their staff prefer to get assigned to ships sailing out of US ports where tipping of individuals is a regular activity.

[bvhboat]

On 3/11/2023 at 9:16 AM, JAGR said:

With YC, there is no added charge on any drink you get.  I have not figured out how to prepay the service charge.  Just know that it will be $14.00/person/day. and budget accordingly.  The service charge is the only additional charge, and is the same rate for YC as for all other classes of travel.

Our first MSC cruise will be in June.

I just called & paid for the service charge over the phone.

 

 

[Nashna]

On 3/20/2023 at 12:27 PM, bvhboat said:

Our first MSC cruise will be in June.

I just called & paid for the service charge over the phone.

 

 

Good to know.  We like to prepay as much as possible.  Of course, we tip extra to the YC staff who help us during our sailing.

[Gatordad1967]

On 3/11/2023 at 9:16 AM, JAGR said:

With YC, there is no added charge on any drink you get.  I have not figured out how to prepay the service charge.  Just know that it will be $14.00/person/day. and budget accordingly.  The service charge is the only additional charge, and is the same rate for YC as for all other classes of travel.

your agent has access to it when they make the booking

[MandyMooToo]

On 3/22/2023 at 9:19 AM, Gatordad1967 said:

your agent has access to it when they make the booking

I booked us in YC on MSC for January 2024 (first cruise with MSC) and tried to transfer the booking to my agent.  She wouldn't take it!  She said MSC is the only line she won't book.  I should have asked first but I never imagined she wouldn't take a booking transfer...

[MsTabbyKats]

56 minutes ago, MandyMooToo said:

I booked us in YC on MSC for January 2024 (first cruise with MSC) and tried to transfer the booking to my agent.  She wouldn't take it!  She said MSC is the only line she won't book.  I should have asked first but I never imagined she wouldn't take a booking transfer...

Many agents won't work with MSC.  Others will, but only if they do the original booking.

[Linda W.]

15 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Many agents won't work with MSC.  Others will, but only if they do the original booking.

Why?  Is it because 1) they don't receive many benefits from the booking when it is already booked directly , 2) they are difficult to work with, or 3) they never give TA many benefits?  I'd like to know the answer because I don't know whether or not to bother my TA with future bookings with them.  (after I see how my first cruise goes with MSC).  

[MsTabbyKats]

7 minutes ago, Linda W. said:

Why?  Is it because 1) they don't receive many benefits from the booking when it is already booked directly , 2) they are difficult to work with, or 3) they never give TA many benefits?  I'd like to know the answer because I don't know whether or not to bother my TA with future bookings with them.  (after I see how my first cruise goes with MSC).  

The only thing a "past TA"said was that it was too time consuming to do the transfer. The TA I use now gave me a nice discount....but I had him book directly.

[Nashna]

My TA has always gladly taken my MSC cruises that I book myself and then transfer over to him. Since I booked in YC, he would get at least a 10% commission.  This would earn him   $430.00 on a 7-night cruise.  Mine always gives me a $200.00 shipboard credit.  If his company does more volume with MSC, then his commission and perks for booking would be much higher.  When MSC first entered the US market, they were much more difficult to deal with.  Perhaps, this TA had a bad experience during that time.   

[mmbcater]

16 hours ago, Linda W. said:

Why?  Is it because 1) they don't receive many benefits from the booking when it is already booked directly , 2) they are difficult to work with, or 3) they never give TA many benefits?  I'd like to know the answer because I don't know whether or not to bother my TA with future bookings with them.  (after I see how my first cruise goes with MSC).  

As an agent and I book a ton with MSC (mostly YC)-they can transfer within 30 days of the original booking. Your TA would receive the commission paid out as if they originally booked with MSC. Yes, MSC can be difficult to work with especially on changing cabins or moving from one class of service to another. It's always best to book the original booking! 

 

I hope that helps!

[Bgwest]

On 4/4/2023 at 9:56 AM, mmbcater said:

As an agent and I book a ton with MSC (mostly YC)-they can transfer within 30 days of the original booking. Your TA would receive the commission paid out as if they originally booked with MSC. Yes, MSC can be difficult to work with especially on changing cabins or moving from one class of service to another. It's always best to book the original booking! 

 

I hope that helps!

30 days? Their transfer form says 60 days. Has something changed?

[mmbcater]

35 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

30 days? Their transfer form says 60 days. Has something changed?

I received the from from my business manager and he stated 30

[lcpagejr]

On 4/4/2023 at 10:49 AM, Nashna said:

My TA has always gladly taken my MSC cruises that I book myself and then transfer over to him. Since I booked in YC, he would get at least a 10% commission.  This would earn him   $430.00 on a 7-night cruise.  Mine always gives me a $200.00 shipboard credit.  If his company does more volume with MSC, then his commission and perks for booking would be much higher.  When MSC first entered the US market, they were much more difficult to deal with.  Perhaps, this TA had a bad experience during that time.   

If your an experienced cruiser...why even bother with a TA?? Ive booked directly through online agencies atleast 20x since 2000...Ive only had to call them 2x. Its easy peasy and you get alot of OBC.... Im getting $800 for a YC cruise on Seascape in November.

[Nashna]

49 minutes ago, lcpagejr said:

If your an experienced cruiser...why even bother with a TA?? Ive booked directly through online agencies atleast 20x since 2000...Ive only had to call them 2x. Its easy peasy and you get alot of OBC.... Im getting $800 for a YC cruise on Seascape in November.

I've sailed on 61 cruises, so yes, I am experienced.  I also know that a TA has much more clout than one passenger.  My TA is a Virtuoso Agency, a luxury travel consortium member, which gives me the power of hundreds of agencies.  On my upcoming Oceania cruise, the consortium offered free gratuities on that sailing, combined with a $400.00 shipboard credit from my TA; this gave us over $1,000.00 in savings on that one sailing.   I know from my thirty years of dealing with travel providers that their travel agency partners are their lifelines.   This is why cruise lines pay 10 to 18 % commissions.  By the way, those Online Booking Sites are earning commission from the cruise lines and are considered to be travel agents...they just aren't accommodating if you need assistance.      

[lcpagejr]

On 4/8/2023 at 12:34 PM, Nashna said:

I've sailed on 61 cruises, so yes, I am experienced.  I also know that a TA has much more clout than one passenger.  My TA is a Virtuoso Agency, a luxury travel consortium member, which gives me the power of hundreds of agencies.  On my upcoming Oceania cruise, the consortium offered free gratuities on that sailing, combined with a $400.00 shipboard credit from my TA; this gave us over $1,000.00 in savings on that one sailing.   I know from my thirty years of dealing with travel providers that their travel agency partners are their lifelines.   This is why cruise lines pay 10 to 18 % commissions.  By the way, those Online Booking Sites are earning commission from the cruise lines and are considered to be travel agents...they just aren't accommodating if you need assistance.      

all valid points... But they have assisted me for the few yimes I called.... They just don't ticket and say bye-bye. I guessIm a little anal in that I want to make sure I am getting best deal and I don't have faith in allowing a 1  TA to do my booking.... I get 4-5 quotes, look at what kickers they are giving me,,,, and then make my decision. I noticed you referenced Oceania.. is this why. Because I can tell you from experience if I book through the MSC and RCCL websites rarely do I receive the same OBC, Free grat's, etc as I do when booking thru a internet online agency

[jules815]

On 4/8/2023 at 11:34 AM, Nashna said:

I've sailed on 61 cruises, so yes, I am experienced.  I also know that a TA has much more clout than one passenger.  My TA is a Virtuoso Agency, a luxury travel consortium member, which gives me the power of hundreds of agencies.  On my upcoming Oceania cruise, the consortium offered free gratuities on that sailing, combined with a $400.00 shipboard credit from my TA; this gave us over $1,000.00 in savings on that one sailing.   I know from my thirty years of dealing with travel providers that their travel agency partners are their lifelines.   This is why cruise lines pay 10 to 18 % commissions.  By the way, those Online Booking Sites are earning commission from the cruise lines and are considered to be travel agents...they just aren't accommodating if you need assistance.      

I just tried messaging you but feature is turned off. Can you please email the name of your travel agent to me? julierackow@gmail.com. I hope I'm not breaking any CC rules by posting this. We have a TA on X next year that I'm possibly interested in transferring to a TA. Thank you!!!  

[jame_g]

We used an agent from a well known large agency on our first cruise ever, and then on a couple of group cruises - the group didn't offer the category we wanted so we booked through their agent so we could travel with the group. We never received anything additional, no discount, no additional credits, over what we would have gotten by booking directly ourselves online. I think we did receive 1 bottle of wine once, which we don't drink. As a matter of fact, I even ended up arranging for an upgrade myself which the agent didn't even try for, and then had to get the agent's permission to finalize it, which really annoyed me. Since then I've booked all my travel myself and been more than happy not to have to deal with the middle man that frankly never benefited me in any way. It's amazing how much experiences with TAs seem to vary, but a TA has never benefited me.

[jules815]

50 minutes ago, jame_g said:

We used an agent from a well known large agency on our first cruise ever, and then on a couple of group cruises - the group didn't offer the category we wanted so we booked through their agent so we could travel with the group. We never received anything additional, no discount, no additional credits, over what we would have gotten by booking directly ourselves online. I think we did receive 1 bottle of wine once, which we don't drink. As a matter of fact, I even ended up arranging for an upgrade myself which the agent didn't even try for, and then had to get the agent's permission to finalize it, which really annoyed me. Since then I've booked all my travel myself and been more than happy not to have to deal with the middle man that frankly never benefited me in any way. It's amazing how much experiences with TAs seem to vary, but a TA has never benefited me.

Back in our early days of cruising, we often traveled with a couple of other families and their children. This was back when we almost always cruised with Royal Caribbean. I was all over Cruise Critic learning about anything I could, including price drops. 2 of the couples that we cruised with always used a travel agent. The only thing they got from them was a bottle of wine on embarkation day. Meanwhile, us and one of the other couples always booked on our own, and several times scored big with price drops before final payment. The couples who used a TA never could take advantage of that, but they got their bottle of Chardonnay. 

 

The cruise I'm considering transferring to a TA is a transatlantic on Celebrity next year. We already booked a few weeks ago and got a good deal, but it's just the cruise. We're going to have to add drinks, wifi, etc., so some obc would be helpful. I'm definitely willing to see what they have to offer.