MSC WORLD EUROPA REPO ABU Dhabi to Genoa on behalf of BEAMAFAR

[sidari]

29 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Just heard a story from a passenger - will be interested to hear if it’s true.   
 

He was having coffee in the Emporium and a waiter there told him that, when the ship begins its Med sailings, drinks packages will no longer cover the coffees.  This is (apparently) because so many Italians - who drink a lot of coffee - are expected to be onboard.  What he was told was that only YC guests will be covered.  

Will that be the same for ex UK sailings Bea ? Ten days ago MSC removed all mention of drink packages from bookings online and on the app.

[Beamafar]

16 minutes ago, sidari said:

Will that be the same for ex UK sailings Bea ? Ten days ago MSC removed all mention of drink packages from bookings online and on the app.

No idea, Dave.  It’s not going to go down well if they start limiting the venues that the packages cover.  A couple we spoke with today said they couldn’t get a drink in “the piano bar”.  The only venue I know that has a piano player is the Raj Polo.  I think they meant they couldn’t even order tea.  Hoping to go tomorrow to see if I can get a clearer picture on the subject. 

[Beamafar]

Finally went to the Gin Project.  Seemed any of the choices I wanted weren’t available. 🙄.  Just ordered one recommended: Queen’s Spritz

 

 

 

 

[RBrowny]

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Just heard a story from a passenger - will be interested to hear if it’s true.   
 

He was having coffee in the Emporium and a waiter there told him that, when the ship begins its Med sailings, drinks packages will no longer cover the coffees.  This is (apparently) because so many Italians - who drink a lot of coffee - are expected to be onboard.  What he was told was that only YC guests will be covered.  

I really hope this isn't the case, my partner is really looking forward to the iced nutella drink.

[insidecabin]

15 hours ago, sidari said:

Will that be the same for ex UK sailings Bea ? Ten days ago MSC removed all mention of drink packages from bookings online and on the app.

Still showing our drinks package on our UK booking on-line

[RBrowny]

37 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Still showing our drinks package on our UK booking on-line

Ours is the same, on the website. Under booking details, it's showing what we have.

[Belgian cruiser1]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but don't forget this is MSC we are talking about. I have cruised with them often enough, and if you aren't in YC ... service or reliability (as in what you booked is or isn't what you get) is usually a hit-and-miss thing, often to be sorted out at the discretion of the staff you talk to. I wish you all the best, as I too have a future sailing on this ship in a few months ... but don't get your hopes up.

[RudiRatlos]

21 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Just heard a story from a passenger - will be interested to hear if it’s true.   
 

He was having coffee in the Emporium and a waiter there told him that, when the ship begins its Med sailings, drinks packages will no longer cover the coffees.  This is (apparently) because so many Italians - who drink a lot of coffee - are expected to be onboard.  What he was told was that only YC guests will be covered.  

 

Drink package descriptions for summer 2023 do not exclude coffee in general (just posted them in another thread), but "Lavazza Coffee Shops" - is Coffee Emporium a "Lavazza Coffee Shop"?

[RBrowny]

27 minutes ago, RudiRatlos said:

 

Drink package descriptions for summer 2023 do not exclude coffee in general (just posted them in another thread), but "Lavazza Coffee Shops" - is Coffee Emporium a "Lavazza Coffee Shop"?

I really don't understand why it's so difficult, every few weeks it seems to change. Is it included, are the prices we paid now not valid, do we get to go to speciality places, etc. Seems so strange

[sidari]

5 hours ago, RBrowny said:

Ours is the same, on the website. Under booking details, it's showing what we have.

On ours the only thing now showing under Premium Drink package is our names and details about Saudi Arabia even though we are not going there. So glad I printed out a copy of the inclusions.

[RudiRatlos]

4 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

I really don't understand why it's so difficult, every few weeks it seems to change. Is it included, are the prices we paid now not valid, do we get to go to speciality places, etc. Seems so strange

Obviously it is not MSC´s best idea to do bar list and drink package changes over a period of time rather than from a fixed date...

Nevertheless, exclusions for specialty restaurants and signature venues remain unchanged - third-party managed signature venues (like Venchi or Jean Philippe) are excluded from all packages, MSC´s specialty restaurants (like Butchers Cut) included in Easy Plus and Premium extra). However, "Coffee Emporium" is not mentioned in the drink packages T&C, so we don´t know for sure wether it is considered a normal bar or a signature venue.

 

After all, MSC cannot deny its italian origins...

"Heaven is where the police are British, the lovers French, the mechanics German, the chefs Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, the chefs British, and it is all organized by the Italians."

[insidecabin]

Often it is not practical to do changes at the same time.

 

Most cruise lines do from sailings after........  so ships are staggered a bit and not changed mid cruise..

 

Take Virtuosa in Europe, currently in euro+service,  this month it is probably changing to £ with no service.

 

The cost to change everything in euro, update crew to new prices and rules, change all the paperwork and promotion stands only to have to change again in a few weeks makes no sense.

 

Do it all at the change to £  

[Beamafar]

Folks - just had some extremely frustrating (and upsetting) news.  We had booked an excursion tour of Genoa, ending at Malpensa airport.   I went to the excursion desk today at 1.30pm and confirmed the booking as we hadn’t heard anything.   I was told the tickets would be in our cabin this evening.  
 

Received a phone call at 6.20pm (five hours later) to say the excursion has been cancelled due to the lack of numbers.   Surely they could have seen that that was the situation days ago!!!   So now, we have to try and make other arrangements between tonight and tomorrow.   Fortunately our flight is not until 19.45, but we’ve been left with very little time to organise an alternative.  

[hamrag]

4 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Folks - just had some extremely frustrating (and upsetting) news.  

Unfortunately there isn't a 'don't like' button to hit. How frustrating to do that with a disembarking tour! They are well known for doing this with routine excursions, but this is really really poor from MSC.

 

Hope you can find a suitable solution, but it's the last thing anyone needs on final night!

 

Thanks so much for taking us with you on the trip, don't let this spoil it too much.

[Beamafar]

8 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Unfortunately there isn't a 'don't like' button to hit. How frustrating to do that with a disembarking tour! They are well known for doing this with routine excursions, but this is really really poor from MSC.

 

Hope you can find a suitable solution, but it's the last thing anyone needs on final night!

 

Thanks so much for taking us with you on the trip, don't let this spoil it too much.

Surely they should have known when we asked at lunchtime.   Would have given us some time to sort something out.  We’re not ones for lugging bags on and off trains and the only private transfer I can find, so far, costs a little over €300.  

[hamrag]

11 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Surely they should have known when we asked at lunchtime.   Would have given us some time to sort something out.  We’re not ones for lugging bags on and off trains and the only private transfer I can find, so far, costs a little over €300.  

Absolutely they did!

 

I've had a look and the best I see is nearer 350 euro! My advice, infuriating as it is, do it in comfort and suck it up....then let MSC know how infuriated you are about this.

[Beamafar]

55 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Absolutely they did!

 

I've had a look and the best I see is nearer 350 euro! My advice, infuriating as it is, do it in comfort and suck it up....then let MSC know how infuriated you are about this.

Falls on deaf ears, G. 

[Captain-John]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

They are well known for doing this with routine excursions, but this is really really poor from MSC.

 

Agreed, very poor for a normal excursion but unforgiveable for a disembarkation excursion with airport transfer. Numbers would have been known well in advance as mentioned.

 

Sorry about this and the very late notice Bea. Not the ending you want to your holiday.  I don't have any helpful tips or solutions other than what has been mentioned I'm afraid but at least your flight time isn't tight and that gives you options.

[Nikita4]

Take the train to Milabo Centrale and then the train to Malpensa. Its not a problem and cheaper than the private Transfer.

but there are always MSC Transfers to Malpensa, you have to book it with your cruise. Perhaps you can join a Transfer?

[Liz]

I’ve been following your adventures, since I’m boarding WE on Friday.  As far as transfers in Genoa - did you check the website rome2rio dot com? I have found some good ideas there in the past. Crossing my fingers that you find a solution - safe travels home,

 

Liz

[Beamafar]

Thank you everyone for your concerns and input.  We went to Guest Services. They spent the evening organising bus transfers for those let down by the Excursions office.  So, we have managed to get a transfer for €60 pp.  Downside is we’ll be at the airport early tomorrow.  

[Nunagoras]

So sad for this story, Bea... Hope that all ends well, afterwards. At least they give you some options, but there is a concern I can absolutely to understand: Pick the new cruisers generation: They'll make the cruise booking from their smartphone, they then book their land adventures from the same smartphone on the local or global online vendor's apps, then they book their transfers from the Uber app on their smartphone, then they book a Ryanair flight from the Ryanair app. They go to their bank account on their bank's smartphone app and finally when in the cruise they expect their cruise line of choice smartphone app would let them to do everything else. They have the word on their palm!... And they go by the immediate experience at the lowest possible price!... I can see from my younger relatives... They don't want nor understand my old world and want their own!...

 

During the pandemic when you were supposed to be in a "bubble" cruise, they had some nice, reasonably priced even though basic, shore excursion packages for the duration of the cruise... And that prompted for a quite nice consumer's experience. Not anymore!... From time to time from here where I live I can to snag some small charter closed group cruises on certain TA's. This is my favorite way of travelling... But they're becoming rare as times go. Cruise lines will need to address this one. They can't compete with the online free vendors anymore!... How about to join them in a fashionable way for those new generations?... Sadly; for now this will let us; the cruising's "grandpas and grandmas" out of place!... TBHH: If using online vendors is not "too much" for you, I recommend you to just go with the flaw... Or to join a small charter group if you can find one at your location for your next adventures! And have a wonderful day!...

[Belgian cruiser1]

My wife and I have almost always chosen to arrange excursions and transfer on our own (not using the cruise company) ... but over the past 18 months we have noticed that some cruise lines are trying to make things more difficult for independent passengers, even going so far as making them wait very long to get off the ship at several ports. That things were easier/better towards the end of the Covid-era is quite true in my experience (traveling with MSC during those months was a joy - but it didn't last and they don't seem to have learned the valuable lessons they could've taken away from that time).

[Beamafar]

So, we made it to the airport this morning. 😁  We’ve had some lunch and now have a long wait for our flight tonight. 
 

Shared our experience with some fellow passengers last night and heard some stories of others being let down with excursions - either being cancelled or overbooked - and some not even finding out other than seeing charges back to their account.  Some really shocking stuff!

 

Anyway … back to some ship experiences.  Yesterday we decided to do ‘Afternoon Tea’ in the Raj Polo venue.  Well worth the €7 (plus 15%).  Very civilised altogether and much more impressive than the YC experience. Apparently all the teas are included in Easy Plus and PremX; the afternoon teas aren’t.  
 

 

 
 

 

[Beamafar]

We finally got around to going to the Speakeasy 2 nights ago (we had received paper tokens on our first day onboard).  So, we actually scored a couple of the medallion tokens, too. 
 

 

You may remember I commented about another photo I had uploaded here earlier on and said to take note as I would be referencing it later.   Well, here it is again 

 

The tokens are just about visible behind the left bottle of bubbly. 😁

 

Anyway, we had a fantastic time and I would highly recommend it.   I was informed that the bar manager (through the pub) may be the guy to speak to if you want to score some tokens.  He was not the source for ours (we had 2 different sources and both offered up tokens without us even requesting them). 
 

Drinks are cocktails only and you pay full price for them.  They do serve shots and they are covered by the PremX package.  
 

 

Mr B doesn’t drink cocktails so he was able to just have the Johnny Walker Black on ice that is included in the Silver Bullet shot.