Well, I did it. I violated my Golden Rule of not calling MSC customer service...

[perakcruiser]

Stick with B and have Diamond Blue for sure 😉 

[MsTabbyKats]

Why not see what a TA is offering before making a decision.

 

I'm trying to find "Diamond Blue".....what would the extra benefits be?

 

 

[Stockjock]

1 minute ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Why not see what a TA is offering before making a decision.

 

I'm trying to find "Diamond Blue".....what would the extra benefits be?

 

 

Here is the thread discussing the new tier.  I suppose the short answer to your question is "not many" (extra benefits).  The only good thing as far as I am concerned is that you now have to cruise once per 5 years rather than once per 3 to retain your points.

There are links to the specifics contained within the thread.

As a side note, the new points system seems to grant far fewer points than before, and unless I misread it, I don't think they're giving points for onboard spend.  So even at double VC points, I don't think it puts me over to Blue Diamond.  I think it would under the old (current) program, but not under the new program.
 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

@Stockjock

If it were me, knowing that MSC has a tendency to mess up....I'd cancel and go with a TA.  I'd also do a little research...some TA's give good discounts. (Sadly I cannot give a recommendation for fear of being barred from CC for life!)

 

GF will be very happy.  When I was a GF I would have liked the fancy cabin.  But now that I'm a wife and CFO...I have my priorities...LOL!

[Stockjock]

20 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

@Stockjock

If it were me, knowing that MSC has a tendency to mess up....I'd cancel and go with a TA.  I'd also do a little research...some TA's give good discounts. (Sadly I cannot give a recommendation for fear of being barred from CC for life!)

 

GF will be very happy.  When I was a GF I would have liked the fancy cabin.  But now that I'm a wife and CFO...I have my priorities...LOL!

What I'll probably do is go with the YC Duplex and surprise her.  She's pretty good about paying her own way, although it's not always exactly 50/50, but I'll have her pay for her share of YC Deluxe and then I'll catch the upgrade price from that up to YC Duplex, if I go that route.

[Hlitner]

Reading the OP's post has me wondering, "why on earth would anyone book a cruise directly with a cruise line."  Consider that with MSC, by using a decent high volume cruise agency, we get excellent customer service and a substantial on board credit (OBC) not available if we book direct with MSC.  If we have an issue with pricing or an upgrade (unlikely since we always book YC) we simply call or send an e-mail to our cruise agent..and let her deal with MSC.  She would also make sure that nothing happens to increase our price.

 

Hank

[Stockjock]

40 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Reading the OP's post has me wondering, "why on earth would anyone book a cruise directly with a cruise line."  Consider that with MSC, by using a decent high volume cruise agency, we get excellent customer service and a substantial on board credit (OBC) not available if we book direct with MSC.  If we have an issue with pricing or an upgrade (unlikely since we always book YC) we simply call or send an e-mail to our cruise agent..and let her deal with MSC.  She would also make sure that nothing happens to increase our price.

 

Hank

There have been times where I've wanted to make a change NOW.  And I've had difficulty reaching the TA or a back-up.  This occurred recently on an Oceania booking, where the TA was at first not great (didn't) return an e-mail message, and when I tried to talk with them directly, I couldn't.  By the time I actually spoke with the TA, days later, the offer I was interested was no longer available.  

As frustrating as it is, I do understand how MSC operates and I'm usually pretty good straightening things out.  But if the compensation is enough, then it's something I'll consider.

Edited Saturday at 11:32 PM by Stockjock

[Hlitner]

13 hours ago, Stockjock said:

There have been times where I've wanted to make a change NOW.  And I've had difficulty reaching the TA or a back-up.  This occurred recently on an Oceania booking, where the TA was at first not great (didn't) return an e-mail message, and when I tried to talk with them directly, I couldn't.  By the time I actually spoke with the TA, days later, the offer I was interested was no longer available.  

As frustrating as it is, I do understand how MSC operates and I'm usually pretty good straightening things out.  But if the compensation is enough, then it's something I'll consider.

I get it!  But, what you are describing simple means (to me) that you need to find a different agency.  The good one's do respond even faster than dealing directly with most lines.  The two agencies we currently favor, maintain customer service desks that function M-S.  Even when we cannot reach our specific agent, we can always get to the customer service folks and get immediate results.  Finding the right agency, for you, is a challenge.  The best info we get comes from meeting and chatting with other cruisers (usually on a cruise).  

 

The amount of compensation will usually depend on the specific cruise line.  But as a general rule, we expect 7 -10% of the cruise price in OBCs.  The reason we currently use two different agencies/agents is that one does better with some lines while the other gives me more with several other lines.  Both agencies are part of very large agency consortiums, which gives us access to some very attractive pricing (with some lines) and sometimes extra benefits such as even more OBC that is provided by the consortium.

 

Hank

[publicpersona]

On 10/19/2024 at 6:51 PM, Hlitner said:

"why on earth would anyone book a cruise directly with a cruise line."

 

Unless there is a substantial perq offered by a big box travel agent for a booking, I always book directly with the cruise line, no matter which one we are talking about.

 

First let me stipulate that never-ever or novice cruisers should book through a brick-and-mortar TA that can sit down with them and match their needs with a cruise line/ship. Anyone not willing to spend hours on research should also use a TA. But for me, I've been on more cruises than your typical travel agent and know more about the cruise line and ships I am interested in than most as well.

 

I find that going through a travel agent erects a wall between me and the people who can really solve a problem. I have no control. I do not share the view that the TA has better access to getting a problem solved. Just hasn't been my experience at all.

 

I understand this view is controversial, but it is something that works for me, not what I'm recommending for anyone else. On a similar note, I think travel insurance is a complete waste of money, but that's another topic.

[Stockjock]

27 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

 

Unless there is a substantial perq offered by a big box travel agent for a booking, I always book directly with the cruise line, no matter which one we are talking about.

 

First let me stipulate that never-ever or novice cruisers should book through a brick-and-mortar TA that can sit down with them and match their needs with a cruise line/ship. Anyone not willing to spend hours on research should also use a TA. But for me, I've been on more cruises than your typical travel agent and know more about the cruise line and ships I am interested in than most as well.

 

I find that going through a travel agent erects a wall between me and the people who can really solve a problem. I have no control. I do not share the view that the TA has better access to getting a problem solved. Just hasn't been my experience at all.

 

I understand this view is controversial, but it is something that works for me, not what I'm recommending for anyone else. On a similar note, I think travel insurance is a complete waste of money, but that's another topic.

I feel the exact same way.  I would not expect a TA to spend the kind of time I've spent with MSC ironing out issues, and in fact, I'm 100% sure that they would not do so.  While it is their job, in part, to solve problems, it's not cost-effective to spend so much time dealing with MSC.  And I think that many of us know that MSC shoreside customer service, while well-intentioned, is often "tricky" or not very good.  The CS on the ship tends to be far better, in my experience.

A while back, I booked flights through Celebrity, rather than booking them myself.  And as many know, Flights by Celebrity is considered to be a travel agent, meaning I had no direct control over my flights.  To make a very long story short, using them was a disaster.  

There was a change on my booking and Lufthansa offered me the choice of several other flights, including about half of my options in Business Class on the longest leg for no additional cost.  I'm no dummy, so I picked a Business Class upgrade, but not before calling the TA at FbC to make sure it was ok.  

Well, the TA (FbC) cancelled that upgrade, submitted duplicate bookings, it was a disaster.  Up until almost the day of departure, they assured me that the flights were in good order, when the airline assured me that they were not and that I'd be denied boarding at the airport.  But the airline and I were powerless to fix the problems that were not terribly hard to fix.

It took an insane level of escalation to get things sorted out, along with countless hours on the phone.  One time, I went absolutely ballistic on them, screaming and yelling, which isn't how I operate.  I'm not a hothead, but it got that bad.  I was simply frustrated beyond words, and it took quite a lot to get there.

So I lost the upgrade they offered, and we were about to be denied boarding on the substitute economy flights.  If I had made the booking directly, I could probably have gotten everything sorted out in 1-3 calls, but because a TA controlled the tickets, I had no control over anything.

So yes, pros and cons without a doubt.  To me, the bottom line is the bottom line.  They have to make it well worth my while to give up control over my travel plans.  Generally, they have not made my life simpler, but rather, more difficult and complicated.

Edited 8 hours ago by Stockjock

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, publicpersona said:

 

Unless there is a substantial perq offered by a big box travel agent for a booking, I always book directly with the cruise line, no matter which one we are talking about.

 

First let me stipulate that never-ever or novice cruisers should book through a brick-and-mortar TA that can sit down with them and match their needs with a cruise line/ship. Anyone not willing to spend hours on research should also use a TA. But for me, I've been on more cruises than your typical travel agent and know more about the cruise line and ships I am interested in than most as well.

 

I find that going through a travel agent erects a wall between me and the people who can really solve a problem. I have no control. I do not share the view that the TA has better access to getting a problem solved. Just hasn't been my experience at all.

 

I understand this view is controversial, but it is something that works for me, not what I'm recommending for anyone else. On a similar note, I think travel insurance is a complete waste of money, but that's another topic.

I have never used a big box agency and will likely never do so.  We simply use one, of several favored high volume cruise agencies, that routinely give us at least 7% of the cruise price (in discounts, OBCs, etc) and sometimes a lot more.  What you call a "wall" we see as an advocate who not only works on our behalf, but also has the clout to get things done (with the cruise lines).  An agency, that is part of a consortium that does billions of dollars of annual bookings, has a lot of clout when compared to a lone cruise.  Since we tend to book longer more expensive cruises, our savings, per cruise, are often measured in the thousands of dollars (hundreds of dollars on a short cruise).  In fact, we are looking to book (possibly tonight) a 7 day cruise where the agency will give us $500 OBC on a booking that is under $5000.   

 

We do understand that this is not for everyone, just like booking excursions are not for everyone.  It is just one option in the complex travel industry.

 

Hank

[publicpersona]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I have never used a big box agency and will likely never do so

 

I erred when I used the description "big box" as I guess that translates to a warehouse club agency. I've never used that either. I also was referring to high volume cruise agencies.

 

I can understand that we've had different experiences. I am strictly a bargain hunter, cruising when there is an incredible bargain to be had.

[Hlitner]

29 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

 

I erred when I used the description "big box" as I guess that translates to a warehouse club agency. I've never used that either. I also was referring to high volume cruise agencies.

 

I can understand that we've had different experiences. I am strictly a bargain hunter, cruising when there is an incredible bargain to be had.

What is not often discussed, here on CC, is the proliferation of travel agency consortiums.  These are oft huge organizations which give their members some economies of scale and lots of clout   For those that do not understand the concept, think back 50 years ago to the many AAA agencies (around the USA) who all had travel agency services.  In a sense, AAA was one of the original consortiums.  Today there are many travel consortiums, some of whom do travel/cruise bookings in the Billions of dollars per year.  The cruise lines cannot survive without these large consortiums, and all the cruise lines court their favor.  Many travelers/cruisres may not even be aware that their favored agency is a member of a consortium (if you ask, they will usually tell).  

 

Since most (not all) cruise lines try to maintain price controls (i.e. everyone charges about the same price) there are other methods used to favor consortiums.  OBCs, issued by the member cruise agencies are quite common and do vary between the agencies (which is why we always price-out with several favored agencies).  Sometimes, the consortium will have a so-called "hosted cruise" where the consortium sweetens the pot with even more OBC (separate from the cruise agency).  

 

None of this makes a big difference for folks booking a $1000 cruise.  But with longer more expensive cruises, it can be significant.  I still recall one HAL cruise (about 60 days long) when we had over $2500 in on board credit, that would not have been issued had we booked direct cruise line,  That is real money!

 

Hank

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

What is not often discussed, here on CC, is the proliferation of travel agency consortiums.  These are oft huge organizations which give their members some economies of scale and lots of clout   For those that do not understand the concept, think back 50 years ago to the many AAA agencies (around the USA) who all had travel agency services.  In a sense, AAA was one of the original consortiums.  Today there are many travel consortiums, some of whom do travel/cruise bookings in the Billions of dollars per year.  The cruise lines cannot survive without these large consortiums, and all the cruise lines court their favor.  Many travelers/cruisres may not even be aware that their favored agency is a member of a consortium (if you ask, they will usually tell).  

 

Since most (not all) cruise lines try to maintain price controls (i.e. everyone charges about the same price) there are other methods used to favor consortiums.  OBCs, issued by the member cruise agencies are quite common and do vary between the agencies (which is why we always price-out with several favored agencies).  Sometimes, the consortium will have a so-called "hosted cruise" where the consortium sweetens the pot with even more OBC (separate from the cruise agency).  

 

None of this makes a big difference for folks booking a $1000 cruise.  But with longer more expensive cruises, it can be significant.  I still recall one HAL cruise (about 60 days long) when we had over $2500 in on board credit, that would not have been issued had we booked direct cruise line,  That is real money!

 

Hank

If I upgrade to a YC Duplex, I'll probably go with a travel agency I've used before.  They offered $600 in OBC but also said they could straight out knock that off of the price of the cruise directly.  So I'd get about $600 off from Voyagers Club and the same from the TA.  $1,200 off is pretty appealing.  I'd also get $100 from VC.