citizenfrank

16 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but I do know that I'm wishing your luck to turn around PRONTO!! Sending positive vibes across the pond to the citizenfrank family.

Thank you! Not the point or intention of my post, but very kindly received ...feeling the love from my beloved USA.

Well your corner of her! lol

THANK YOU 👍🇺🇸

Sorted. Just cancelled ...it's the easiest way, though very sad!

The £100 per passenger admin fee cancels out carrying over the deposit to another sailing ...it's like buying your £300 (in our case) for £300!!

Plus the bit I had not grasped is that within a 'cruise move' the balance is still up on the original due date!

Useless if financing was the reason to seek the move and if you took the move right up to the 365 day maximum,  you're paying your balance over a year early!

Madness lol

15 hours ago, sidari said:

Frank ... Been told the same thing by the UK office, Princess do the same thing which we fell foul of when we cancelled last year's Alaska cruise.

Morning, I trust you are well ...yes through here, another call, Tim & Andy from Facebook and other research it is as stated! Thank you. It's a dilemma just about math now. Think changing anything is a risk in any sector and unlikely to be free but I think the £100 per passenger Admin fee is OTT.

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

We made exactly that enquiry a few months ago, with a cruise we had originally booked for October 2019, but our deposit was £100pp so it made no sense as that equated to the admin fee. We cancelled,  losing the deposit i.e. £200 total and then rebooked the same cruise for October 2020 at a lower rate even taking into account the £200 we lost!

That may be the route I take as even writing off £300 I think I can re-book cheaper and certainly once the £300 Admin fees are added.

Hello cruisers ...not been around lately as down on my luck. 

That's an understatement if ever there was one, I'm expecting to contact this Corona virus by the time I cease typing this!

Anyway this is not the Samaritans or help a friend ...unless it's sound MSC advise one needs.

Looking like I'm going to need to 'cancel' Grandiosa at Easter and once the shock settled in last week I thought about what I 'knew', principally that rather than cancel and lose deposits you can transfer your deposits to a new sailing and feel  much better about yourself!

Well maybe so, but not as easily, freely or without cost as I thought!

MSC UK are saying I can before the balance due date on the 7th February providing....

1. The sailing is in the same region only

2. From the same port

3. Returning to the same port

4. The cost is the same or greater 

5. Within 365 days of original sailing date

6. Admin fee of £100.00 per passenger 

Is this correct?

I'm sure others reported differently over the years.

Bear in mind there will be 9 weeks to re-sell the Grandiosa cabin and extras.

They will not be out of pocket as the deposits stay with them and a balance is merely further out of being paid.

Any advise or experience particularly is valued at this time.

Cheers gang and I trust the high seas are treating you well. 

Frank 

On 11/19/2019 at 6:07 PM, Beamafar said:

 

How was your trip, Frank?  (Seeing as how it's my thread, I have my permission to go off-topic  😜)

Bea it was amazing....All that was missing was some days at sea and more drinking! 

Saw Meraviglia twice in Boston and NYC and she looked majestic.

Halloween in Salem was special and something to be glad you have ticked off.

Knowing both NYC and to a lesser extent Boston, the real star was Connecticut, a state we will revisit for sure!

Getting your thread back on track ...I followed your story all the way 😛

10 hours ago, Beamafar said:

 

The key lime pie was good - but I prefer the one I make myself.  😛

 

Thank you for your lovely comments and it would be a pleasure to meet you some time if we do ever get to be on the same ship together.  I met some wonderful CCers on this trip which helped make it such a wonderful cruise.

That's that sorted then ...next florida themed day, forget Kermits 🐸 it's all round to Bea's for a cruise critics gathering with the BEST key lime pie in the world.

DO NOT MISS OUT ...invites to follow 🎉🎤🎷

2 hours ago, sidari said:

Seaside class overload in the western med!!!!!!!!

42 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Yep, nice call.....the 'big reason' is the island is not yet ready to have passengers invade! 😉

That's the only reason and frustration plus disappointment to one side ...who wants to visit something that is less than its goal and eventual best!

I'm sure once father time has allowed the location will be every bit all that it promised.

8 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I'm getting off Insignia on the 23rd, could walk across (figuratively speaking) Dodge Island and board Seaside...But there are those at home who want a Thanksgiving dinner...EM

Do it and leave some nice things in the freezer! 😉

Jesus ...yes please! 

I repeat, with no disrespect or pain to anyone ...Did you really expect it to open on time, or even the early revised times?

This stuff just never works and it won't open on 5th December either!

To be advised is disappointing, but to be told in advance over being on board is to be respected.

2 minutes ago, sidari said:

Frank ... People accept that we cannot do anything about the weather, what they cannot accept is that MSC knew on Monday that the ship would not sail today but chose to leave letting people know until the last minute or Midnight last night!

It is nice to have the luxury of adding another day to any holiday but sadly there are people who don't and some were booked on this cruise.

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to fly to other ports in various countries or want to and are happy to sail from Southampton, with regard to Container ports MSC uses quite a number of them.

With regard to sailing from the UK in November the same can be said of the Med which can be equally as bad at this time of year depending on the course of any given weather system.

Agreed. And this region should be avoided too in November ...unless you are not going to moan about the weather after the event!

6 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

I am trying to tell you the content of the webinar.  One of us was not on it!  Your friend is giving you partial element of the webinar.  

 

Frustrating; I haven't picked a fight with anyone on here and daily I am put down as a liar.  By grown adults!  I've said nothing controversial other than there will be more delays and based on a good source.  Haven't been wrong yet though.  Ask your US friend and confirm for yourself.  No one here takes my word anyways.  Take it from elsewhere 

There will be 100%

1 hour ago, sidari said:

From what I have read on FB the ship will sail Friday at 2 pm and head to Barcelona and there will be no stop in Lisbon and will arrive on the 19th with another stop before BCN. Some people due to sail today and return on the 18th have now cancelled due to the ship arriving a day late to BCN, they received emails around midnight last night informing them! 

Been following on FB too this morning whilst travelling! It's not ideal and I get the frustration, but some of them slating MSC got my goat and I couldn't hold back! It's the weather,  you can't buy it,  change it or communicate with It!  

Safety must come first

Massive new investment by the line that to date has generated no revenue

But you're talking about a sailing from a UK container port (still don't understand why lines use UK ports) in November with two days sailing in notorious waters even in Summer! 

Why not be expecting the worse, why book flights home the dame day!

It's opinionated but I think some took a punt on a cheap sailing to discover a new ship and now want glitz glamour and A-Grade weather to complete the picture.

Why sail in mid-November from Southampton 😠

7 minutes ago, Rob-Bob said:

I booked in 2016 expecting to stop at OC in March 2018.  When are you allowed to be shocked.  This is getting ridiculous.

Still say early 2020 personally and subject to any weather issues pending 

46 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

We've just landed at Dublin airport and are taxi-ing in to the terminal.  It's a lovely, bright, sunny morning here but it's a cold one!

 

Welcome home! 

Was only able to follow your roving reporting whilst away in the States in part, dueto being so hectic, but it looked and sounded great👍

Hope the reality of home or more to the point the loss of the ship is not to shocking and the weather is going to get worse of course 😅

Great to know you both had fun.

Just returned to read this thread...

Is anyone really shocked? When do things like this ever open on time? Particularly in the leisure industry! 

Yes it's a shame and I'm not undermining anyones disappointment but it's why you wait if this element is critical.

Be 2020 when this is fully up, running and operational to an acceptable and enjoyable level.

See you then!

Next sailing so been watching with great interest!

Thought the setting and the ceremony were excellent and the ship is majestic...👌

Why ill never sail out of Southampton en route to the Med.

In a word YES!

Fingers crossed 

11 hours ago, Captain-John said:

Another vote for O'Sheehans. Sure, service can be hit and miss, and it can be crowded, but when the food does come, it really hits the spot!

I also didn't mind the Blue Lagoon on the older ships, same type of food, just a diner-style setting rather than a pub.

 

The opening hours for the Sports Bar on Preziosa were weird, and as much as I wanted to sample some of the food, didn't do so because it didn't open before 1700 a lot of the time. I would have liked it as an alternative to lunch.

Blue Lagoon 👌

Agree regarding opening times, on Seaview this year the sports bar opened about 5pm too.

40 minutes ago, Findo said:

We will be cruising out of Rome on December 29 and was wondering what the weather is like and what we should bring clothing wise. Thanks 

However you dress this up it will be cool/cold!

Especially at sea ⛄

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

DH loves O'Sheehans! It is one of the things that NCL does better than all the other lines. Free, 24 hour, cooked to order~ sit down diner type restaurant that turns into Breakfast in the morning and has dinner specials like prime rib and bbq ribs in the evening. I am surprised the concept hasn't been copied by other lines because O'Sheehans is so popular. The sports bar on MSC would be a perfect venue and I suspect it would make MSC a more popular choice with North Americans. 

Absolutely spot on.

It is a wonderful concept and as such very popular as you suggest.

It is genuinely 24hours and that is great.... 4am wingfest before bed, it's a great opportunity that no other line has to my knowledge and most of the offerings from there are pretty good.

Like that NYC cheesecake with caramel sauce!

Certainly in the sports bars on the newer MSC ships it would be a storm and of course being popular it eases footfall in other dining establishments aboard.

The North American market is perfect for it ...but I'm biased!  

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

As my wife says, on vacation the calories don’t count!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes this is my preferred thinking and live by rule.

Alas someone lied!!! 😂😈🙊

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I love NCL hot buffalo wings 😋

 

Out of interest, I know you were on the Fantasia recently, what is the food situation in her sports bar, we sail in a few weeks.

About a year ago yes. Pay to eat in sports bar, but a lovely location including catching the game we were missing at home! Complementary offerings in the wine bar at the back of the shop above one of the MDR's...Tapas and very tasty. Popular pre-dinner location with a nice vibe.