Spa bookings with the terrible website

[jimmypackedcorn]

Hey all - so how do spa bookings actually work?

 

It's super easy for me to find the service that we want, but there's no choice of day or time or ANYTHING. It's just select and pay.

 

The day and time is a decision making criteria for us. As in, we won't book if we can't secure at least a window of what we're looking for.

 

Are we proverbially S.O.L.?

 

Thanks!

[stp_mmh5]

Essentially your account gets a credit for the service you book. Once onboard, you go to the Spa desk (or YC concierge if you're in the YC) and then reserve the actual day/time you want.

 

Pros to this are: 

1. Leaving less chance for MSC's IT to flub up the reservation

2. You can get a better idea of what dinner/lunch/daily plans to schedule around.

 

Con is that you may lose out on a preferred/prime time if you are not one of the first down to the desk.

 

While we didn't pre-book anything for our cruise last week, it didn't seem like any of the services were fully booked out at any time. Even asking for a day of hot stones massage on the last sea day, I had multiple options to choose from. 

[jimmypackedcorn]

4 minutes ago, stp_mmh5 said:

Essentially your account gets a credit for the service you book. Once onboard, you go to the Spa desk (or YC concierge if you're in the YC) and then reserve the actual day/time you want.

 

Pros to this are: 

1. Leaving less chance for MSC's IT to flub up the reservation

2. You can get a better idea of what dinner/lunch/daily plans to schedule around.

 

Con is that you may lose out on a preferred/prime time if you are not one of the first down to the desk.

 

While we didn't pre-book anything for our cruise last week, it didn't seem like any of the services were fully booked out at any time. Even asking for a day of hot stones massage on the last sea day, I had multiple options to choose from. 

Thank you! Is it really cheaper to book in advance versus on the ship? Secondly, was your cruise at full capacity?

 

Im a little confused about what you mean when you say leaving them to chance to flub up the reservation. Are you saying if we book online they might? In other words, we could book it online to try to get our credit, yet they might not even realize we did it?

[stp_mmh5]

Just now, jimmypackedcorn said:

Thank you! Is it really cheaper to book in advance versus on the ship? Secondly, was your cruise at full capacity?

 

Im a little confused about what you mean when you say leaving them to chance to flub up the reservation. Are you saying if we book online they might? In other words, we could book it online to try to get our credit, yet they might not even realize we did it?

The biggest difference in price is generally the 15% auto gratuity isn't applied for online bookings, but will be for onboard. Otherwise, the prices are about the same. 

 

The comment about flubbing up the reservation is more of a jab at MSC. The running theme in these boards is that their IT department leaves a lot to be desired and things have been known to not properly transfer. We experienced it ourselves for the first time with our upgrade bid from a balcony to the YC. It wasn't a serious issue in the end as the concierge made sure it was corrected in the first 24 hours. As long as you have any pre-purchased items (spa/drinks/dining/excursions) in the boarding documents pdf that becomes available about 10 days prior to the cruise, you should be good to go.

 

As far as capacity during our cruise, I don't believe we were at capacity, at least, it never felt like it. I never got a solid number for the whole ship, but it was gathered from multiple sources that the YC was about 190 guests out of a capacity of 270. There are times that the ship felt fuller, but it is the usual hot times of boarding/debarking/end of show/lunch in the buffet.

[jimmypackedcorn]

20 minutes ago, stp_mmh5 said:

The biggest difference in price is generally the 15% auto gratuity isn't applied for online bookings, but will be for onboard. Otherwise, the prices are about the same. 

 

The comment about flubbing up the reservation is more of a jab at MSC. The running theme in these boards is that their IT department leaves a lot to be desired and things have been known to not properly transfer. We experienced it ourselves for the first time with our upgrade bid from a balcony to the YC. It wasn't a serious issue in the end as the concierge made sure it was corrected in the first 24 hours. As long as you have any pre-purchased items (spa/drinks/dining/excursions) in the boarding documents pdf that becomes available about 10 days prior to the cruise, you should be good to go.

 

As far as capacity during our cruise, I don't believe we were at capacity, at least, it never felt like it. I never got a solid number for the whole ship, but it was gathered from multiple sources that the YC was about 190 guests out of a capacity of 270. There are times that the ship felt fuller, but it is the usual hot times of boarding/debarking/end of show/lunch in the buffet.

Got it. So if we cant select our day/time for spa services online (which we cant) there's no point in booking those in advance? Sounds like cost is about the same. I don't want to book those if we cant get the massages/spa services on our sea days, which seems to be the case since we cant do anything in advance online other than pay.

[stp_mmh5]

You save the cost of the auto gratuity and that's about it. 

 

 

I found a picture of some of the prices onboard, so you can compare them and see if anything is discounted online. I didn't notice at the time that some of it is cut off, nor do I have any of the other services like nails/hair/etc.

[Morgsmom]

12 hours ago, jimmypackedcorn said:

Got it. So if we cant select our day/time for spa services online (which we cant) there's no point in booking those in advance? Sounds like cost is about the same. I don't want to book those if we cant get the massages/spa services on our sea days, which seems to be the case since we cant do anything in advance online other than pay.

If you book IMMEDIATELY upon boarding the ship you should not have any problem getting a slot on a sea day.  The only folks who could have already tried to book would be back to backers.  I'd say your chances are very good in getting the times you want.