KimPossible1

Possibly because you keep insisting it’s the “rule” when it is ambiguous 🤣🤣 you aren’t the bad guy but to keep stating that it is a “rule” doesn’t mean it is correct because it’s your opinion 👍🏻 😉🤣

It really is sad, that they just didn't do the right thing and offer a reschedule or FCC right away. Also, my sister was almost totally fine 2 days later and was out walking a few miles in the neighborhood...ughhh 😄😄

We don't actually know why they denied the claim, since it was not indicated in the email sent to me. You are not speaking for MSC so what you interpret is your opinion. You continue to say others are wrong, and that is my point. I'm sorry you feel as if I am taking it out on you, because that is not my intention. As I said before, we can agree to disagree 👍😄

It’s clear as mud 🤣 MsTabbyKats just wants to be right even though it says nothing of what she is thinking it says and thats ok, we all have opinions. MSC didn’t tell me that it was up to the day before embarkation so therefore I don’t read more into the policy, or assume I know more than someone else 👍🏻

I disagree with you because legally it does not specifically say that day 0 is embarkation. It is a very grey area and that is your interpretation. MSC did not confirm that I missed it by one day, so in essence you are spreading false information by insisting that embarkation is day 0. Within 5 days of embarkation means the 5 days up till embarkation. We could debate it all day, but instead of declaring with certainty you are right, maybe say that it is unclear what the actual wording really means, because that is what I am doing. I am not getting any resolution from MSC so it is a mute point now.

On their main page, click open Travel Info at the very bottom, and then click on Terms and Conditions. The info is on page 6 in the third and fourth paragraphs.

There is a government agency to log complaints about cruise lines so I will follow up with them next. I don’t expect or want anything, but it should be known they aren’t honoring their own T&C’s.

Well it took a month and numerous emails and phone calls to even get the “no sail” letter from them on Monday. Since I couldn’t file a claim until I had a letter, it has been an exhausting and agonizing experience just to get that far. I wouldn’t pursue legal action, it isn’t worth the energy or time, The problem is they aren’t honoring their own booking conditions, but I’m done fighting with them at this point. It’s just a matter of never sailing with them again.

Well here is an update to my last email sent to the post cruise support person. I had spent an hour and 17 minutes on the phone yesterday with a person who did not understand the terms and conditions and at various times became agitated and aggressive and I called him out on it, because amazingly for once in my life, I remained calm hoping for a good result. After getting nowhere after that length of time, I finally hung up, and sent another email. Here is my email which I begged at the end to make it right. Hello Kayla, I spent an hour and 17 minutes speaking to Eazi today who became irritated and upset with me, that I was not understanding that I would not receive a refund or FCC. I asked to speak to a supervisor numerous time, only to be told that one would call me back. I was told the very same thing on March 6, when I spoke to a Brianna. Eazi did not understand the booking terms and conditions and kept insisting we had to call 5 days before if we had covid. Possibly he did not understand the meaning of “within 5 days of sailing”. He told me he would try to handle the situation but then became angry and I addressed this with him. He kept telling me I didn’t understand, and there was nothing he could do. I explained that we followed all the proper procedures, we called before noon and we had a letter from the doctor and called before 12 noon. We should not be punished because the computer system couldn’t cancel us at that point, which is what we told in two different phone calls. Again, I do not understand how this a “no show” when we clearly followed the correct procedures. I eventually gave up with him because this whole situation has made me very upset and I was crying by that point. I can’t understand how a company cares so little for their clients when they are sick and did the right thing. We should have been offered a FCC immediately, and I should not have had to spend the last month trying to get a FCC or refund. I am now posting on social media and will include my post on cruise critic. I am still hoping the situation can be resolved correctly with a FCC because we only live an hour from Port Canaveral and 3 1/2 hours from Miami. We average about 5+ cruses a year, and really enjoyed our first MSC cruise last February. Please make this right. Kim Here is her reply: "Dear Kim, Thank you for reaching out to us and expressing your concerns regarding your recent interaction with our call center. We sincerely apologize for any frustration or inconvenience you may have experienced during your conversation. We understand your disappointment and frustration with the situation, and we truly appreciate your feedback. Our goal is always to provide exceptional customer service, and it is disheartening to hear that we fell short of your expectations on this occasion. Regarding your request for a refund or Future Cruise Credit (FCC), we regret to inform you that, as per our terms and conditions, we are unable to offer you a refund. All of our terms and conditions are clearly outlined on our website, and we ask that guests review and acknowledge them before finalizing their bookings. While we understand your disappointment, we kindly ask for your understanding and adherence to our policies in this matter. We value your loyalty as a frequent cruiser with us, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back aboard one of our ships in the future. Regarding the categorization of your booking as a "No Show," please understand that this is simply internal terminology used to indicate that a guest did not sail, regardless of the circumstances. We acknowledge that you followed the proper procedures and contacted us within the required timeframe due to your illness, and we appreciate your diligence in doing so. Your request for a refund has been denied, we consider this case as closed. Kind Regards, Kayla J MSC Cruises (USA) Inc. Post Cruise Support So there you have it... no FCC, no following their own booking terms and conditions, and no more MSC cruising for me☹️ Thanks to everyone here for the support and suggestions, I have really appreciated the feedback.

Ok, thank you for the clarification. I have been really upset about the whole incident and didn't want to get into an argument with anybody. I appreciate you taking the time to respond 👍

I may be interpreting you incorrectly because it is the internet, but in an earlier post and this one you seem a little confrontational implying that we should have sent the letter by noon and with this post implying that I can’t comprehend what I read? Please correct me if I am wrong so I know not to continue to engage with you.

Well we didn’t have the luxury of time to investigate all the details since it was the morning of embarkation. We trusted the person we called to have handled the situation correctly, but they did not. I’m glad your cancellation went smoothly. I didn’t even receive the “did not sail” letter till yesterday despite numerous calls and emails. I am sad about the whole situation because we did enjoy our cruise last year and were really looking forward to this cruise.

I would assume that when you call into a call center and tell them you have positive covid diagnosis and are cancelling your cruise before noon, that should be enough information to elicit a correct response of what to do next. They didn't ask for proof at that time, nor provide us with any other information. The call person could/should have given us an email at the first call, but they were fixated on the point that their system wouldn't allow us to cancel but reassured that it would be ok...which obviously it wasn't. I don't think that the normal person would even think that the cruise line wouldn't know what they were doing. I had remembered reading somewhere on either FB, Reddit or here that you needed to call before noon, so that is what we made sure we did in addition to going to the doctor immediately. I expected an email detailing what to do next, but I never received one, so I called two days later to find out where to send the information and what we should do next. I have learned you can't assume that a company is willing to look out for you and provide customer service. I would never have thought that they wouldn't help us and refuse to provide a FCC or refund. In all honesty in the same situation, I doubt you would have known what you should and shouldn't do, and whether or not the company was telling you the wrong information. The person on the phone said it was ok, so I assumed it was ok.

We went to an urgent care around 10am day of embarkation and she was given a test there and a letter. No doctor would provide a letter based on a home test. I’ve been a nurse for 30 years and knew we had to immediately go to urgent care for a formal diagnosis and proof of Covid positive

Yes I did use a credit card so that is good. I didn’t get the “no sail” letter till yesterday to prove that we didn’t sail. So now it’s a matter of submitting paperwork. It shouldn’t have taken a month to get that letter either 🙄 the whole thing is a big pain in the butt!!

I agree but that is very overwhelming ☹️

The morning of the cruise and the T&C states within 5 days and notification no later than noon on day of embarkation which is what we did👍🏻

She tested positive the morning we were supposed to sail. We called at 9:30 to tell them of the positive home test and we wouldn’t be coming and then right around 11:30 after leaving the urgent care on the same day as embarkation. We only live about an hour and 15 minutes from PC. So yes we notified them right away.

Thanks for the support and no I never book with a travel agent. I’d rather spend the agonizingly long hours trying to get things fixed myself 😉🤣🤣 I sent one more email today asking them to please make it right so 🤞🏻

Yes we called around 9:30 and then around 11:30 to confirm her test was positive at urgent care

No kidding! We called before noon, had a "not fit to sail" paper from a doctor and they still won't budge. I just wanted a FCC to rebook. Were we supposed to go to the terminal and show the positive test so then they could deny us boarding?? So dumb!!!

Yes, we called three times that day and they have it documented ☹️ Thanks for saying you think we met the requirements. Everyone is always ready to blame the person who posts and makes it their fault, but I have worked on this for a month and spent over an hour on the phone today again, only to be told that a supervisor would call back. I've been told that numerous times and never received a call. I am upset that they couldn't care, don't follow their own booking conditions and can't do the right thing.

Yes I had trip insurance (as I stated in the original post), but that isn't the issue. Their booking terms and conditions clearly state a refund or FCC if you meet the guidelines. We fulfilled our obligations and just wanted to rebook the cruise.

This is page 6 of their booking conditions: If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation, you may elect to cancel your Booking. In that event, you, and anyone else in your travelling party who cancels their Booking due to your positive COVID-19 test result, will be entitled to a refund or future cruise credit equal in value to the amount Passenger paid to the Carrier. To qualify for the future cruise credit or refund, you must notify the Company via telephone at 877-665-4655 within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving the test result and no later than noon on the date of embarkation and provide verification satisfactory to the Company of test results administered by providers other than those retained by the Carrier. Under no circumstances shall the Carrier be liable to any such Passenger for any costs, damages or expenses whatsoever incurred by any Passenger.

My sister and I were supposed to sail on Feb. 11 on the Seashore out of Port Canaveral. She did not feel well and tested positive for Covid that morning at home and we rushed to an urgent care and have a letter from a doctor saying she wasn't fit to sail. We called MSC three times that morning and were told they their system didn't allow for them to cancel us at that time. Their booking conditions on page 6 clearly outline the process to follow if you need to cancel due to covid, which included calling before 12 noon and providing proof. I have done all that, and I have spent the last month calling repeatedly to be told a supervisor will get in touch. I eventually was given the email address and submitted all the paperwork to be told that we were technically "no shows" and too bad, no refund or FCC. This is very upsetting, because we clearly followed the rules and I have exhausted all avenues. I just wanted a FCC so I could rebook. I finally submitted a claim to my travel insurance company yesterday. I will never sail on MSC again, which is sad because we had a nice time. I can't understand such poor customer service that would tell me that we should have gone to the terminal and been denied boarding otherwise you are entitled to nothing. I spent over an hour on the phone today going around in circles with an irritated customer service person. He kept stating the wrong information and was reading the booking conditions wrong. It states that is you test positive within 5 days and call before noon on the day of embarkation you are entitled to a refund or FCC. He kept insisting that I had to call 5 days before and he was not understanding the english and semantics of "within 5 days". I'm very sad right now and have wasted so much time and money trying to get this resolved, but it boils down to the fact that MSC didn't care that my sister had covid and didn't want to issue a FCC or refund. It now joins the long list of companies that are only concerned about profit and not their customers. They have my $1600 so they don't care ☹️