Xinran

We were caught up is the same cancellation. Notification received on landing in Italy, the afternoon before boarding. We purchased our travel insurance and top up cruise insurance from a very reputable company, independent of MSC. We would have been covered handsomely for missed ports, and if we’d missed the start of the cruise through our own travel issues…but unfortunately not for the extra costs of travel, food and accommodation caused by cruise company cancellation of the cruise. The insurance company spent some time trying to help us, but concluded that those costs should be covered by the cruise company, under regulation EU1177/2010. MSC refuse to engage in conversation about it. All replies are standard preset messages to go back to our insurance company, with no acknowledgment of our actual efforts and circumstances, nor the legal regulation our insurance company’s lawyers have alerted us to. The cost issue is that the cruise was part of a repositioning exercise, and was very good value. Refunding it covers a minor portion of the cost of five days of travel to the final destination. Even with careful, modest spending. We are considerably out of pocket. And the 50% FCC can only be used against full price 7+ day cruises. Which in this case is far less than a normal discount on a full priced cruise, accessible by most people looking to book a 7+ day cruise. MSC are cheap for a reason. We’ve used them many times - on board staff are excellent, but we know to expect less from one of their cruises compared with other cruise companies. So we generally know what we’ve signed up to. But this experience has been exceptionally frustrating. That said, we may use them again. I don’t want to cut off my nose to spite my face… however, at the moment I can’t bring myself to look at their itineraries. But of course, it makes no difference to MSC whether or not we do. I know they couldn’t care less.

You’re spot on, asking these questions. I can only tell you what we’ve discovered so far… We bought extra cruise insurance cover, on top of what is already considered premium travel insurance. Our insurance would have covered us for missed ports, and a curtailed cruise (as well as much more), but the insurance company could not find a way to cover a cruise cancelled before departure, as they say that responsibility lies entirely with the cruise company. They say that MSC (via TA if applicable) is responsible for covering the cost (minus the original cruise cost), if the journey, accommodation and all other reasonable expenses required to get us to our final cruise port destination. MSC and our Travel Agent say it is the insurance company that is responsible, and have so far refused to discuss it with us. It is frustrating that we haven’t a clear steer. So we’re currently concentrating on getting home, and on enjoying the journey. We’re experienced, mostly independent, travellers, and know how to get around - however, this has proved quite stressful, and hasn’t run smoothly. It really isn’t as simple as getting on a train in Rome and landing in Venice. We will pick up when we get back, as even with carefully managed moderate spending, we will be considerably out of pocket, once the cruise cost is refunded. Nevertheless, I do appreciate these are First World Problems! And as Merryjewelhound points out, it’s given us a tale to tell 😊

The problem is that you then need to spend five days waiting for your flight home. Accommodation, food, drink entertainment at added cost. We were also left high and dry in Rome because of this incident. We’re making the most of our journey across Italy to Venice, to catch our flight back. But it’s most definitely not been the relaxing holiday we bought into. The MSC employees at the port in Civitavecchia non-apologetically giggled when we asked whether MSC would be organising our journey to the final port, Venice. We were told it was easy to catch the train to Rome, then Venice, and were directed to the public bus to the train station. We weren’t annoyed at the giggling staff - they were young, inexperienced and unfairly put in a position, way beyond their capabilities, to deal with the growing number of shocked and confused passengers.

Thank you for the links to the EU laws, which may be of some help. Here is our experience and some opinion. MSC have not acted reasonably and subsequently have been very unhelpful. They would have known a few hours before they sent the cancellation that they could not have reasonably made it to Civitiveccia. If they had sent notification then, we would not have boarded our flight, and not been in a position of having to book and pay for accommodation, transportation and food for the next five days to get to the Venice destination they agreed to get us to, for our flight home. We have received the offer of a refund of the tickets, but that will not cover the significantly higher costs of doing the journey to Venice ourselves. We are using public transport, booking basic accommodation, dragging heavy luggage and eating modestly. Not at all comparable to the standard, ease and enjoyment we were expecting on the cruise. To set the ‘compensation’ into perspective: We have been offered ‘a goodwill gesture’ of £89.50 each (the cruise was a bargain!) FCC to be used only towards a full priced, minimum 7 day future cruise. And only if we release them for any further claims. We walked to the cruise terminal to try find someone to talk to from MSC, as we were having no luck with the TA nor our (very reputable) insurance company (both are adamant it is the other’s responsibility). We were eventually met by two MSC employees, who giggled at the suggestion that MSC might arrange transportation to our final suggestion. Their colleague went to get the letter setting out the cancellation, refund and goodwill gesture. No mention of an alternative cruise, which some have indicated above. Due to the heat, the two mile walk from our pre cruise hotel, with cruise luggage, I sat on a chair to read the letter. (To complete the picture, we are in our sixties.) They quickly directed us to the public bus, to take us to the station, so we could catch our train to Venice - presumably where we could wait for four days for our flight home. Throughout, we were very polite, and undemanding, to the employees, who were clearly inexperienced and frankly unsuitable to face the small number of passengers starting to gather. We are experienced, independent travellers, and dealing with this has potentially been easier for us, than many others. Nevertheless, I am finding it quite stressful, somewhat frustrating…and am very disappointed with the lack of support from our insurance company, the TA and of course MSC

MSc are cheap and cheerful. We expect less with them (and thought we’d covered the risk with premium cruise insurance). However, I feel they may have outdone themselves this time. Just going to enjoy the evening now, and work things out tomorrow 🙂

We booked through *****. Our (reputable) insurance company is insisting that ***** or MSC should be sorting out our accommodation and journey to Venice. *****/MSc insists it is the insurance company’s responsibility. I have no idea what to do next…

Not good for us, unfortunately our dates are fixed. The cruise was a bit of a bargain, so the FCC will be little compensation for the additional costs/loss of holiday.

Are you being given any other options? We are waiting for the agent to phone back. We were finishing the cruise in Venice on Monday, so a tricky one to sort out.

Same here. Working out what to do…

Same here. Working out what to do…