Do I receive any tickets?

[sjpo]

MSC would not be my first choice. I am traveling on a group this time. I like their ships, some of their staff (the ones which manage to be better trained somehow) but little more besides that. I know one gets what one pays for but for similar fares I tend to encounter more generosity with Costa (although no longer the Linea C I once knew)

 

I still feel this is a forum for passengers and not for the shipping line to come up with their excuses, messages, or suggestions. There are other sources for that (and which, in the time I needed, did not function that well). No problem at all in MSC and Costa reading on the threads, reviews, etc so it can give them a good idea of what some of their traveling public think of the product they are offering but do not want a comment from each after each comment from one of us, pax. If there is one thing MSC is not too good at is information: MSC Musica cancelling the Xmas cruise last year, last minute, keeping pax for hours totally unaware (and on board!) is a primary example.

[sjpo]

BTW, did get my 'tickets' today via email. Luggage tags too, Costa style (print yourself and attach) but at least Costa sends each tag on a separate sheet (which gives some 'extra' paper on the A4 to make the tag stronger) rather than 4 grouped per page. Little details, I know, but the ones I tend to notice.

 

Costa also gives the tags at the terminal in South America. Given the amounts of luggage, the way the traffic is around the terminal over there, certain security risks, etc, it is not a method which I find always good but, I agree, if one has to flight before boarding the tags will have to be placed between airport and port. Last time did that in Venice, with a strong glue which was allowed on my hand luggage and it worked well. Lasted the entire cruise plus my return flight :-)

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

RCCL has also changed their ticket and luggage system since I cruised with them back in 2009. My parents departed Malaga last Saturday and they got their luggage tags at the cruiseterminal. Ticket was sent as an printable e-ticket.

 

However, I'm cruising on the MSC Fantasia in late August and we got our luggagetags together with tickets by post. So it seems that the practice differs a bit.

[AmoMondo]

I am not sure about you guys but I feel this is a forum for passengers to discuss their experiences with a particular line (or several) and to relate their experiences. it is not the place for the line itself to try to provide information or reasons for a failure on their service. If I want to contact MSC I would go to their site (which is not very good for that) or call them. Naturally it would make sense for a cruise line to read this and other forums and hopefully take action on their shortcomings, but it is not the place for them to express their PR text or try to add all those marketing phrases. I am here to hear from other passengers, to know how they experienced this or that ship, and not to be given the sugared version delivered directly from the cruise line. Would you agree?

 

I partailly agree with you. When Matteo the leader of the kids programme used to post and answer parents questions, I thought that was good and posters seemed to appreciate him taking the time to do it. I was surprised to see MSC USA start posting here. I certainly don't want them taking part in discussions or expressing opinions, as like you I feel this forum is for past and future passengers to share information and opinions. As long as they stick to only providing information and remember that we are not all booking through MSC USA, so may have different terms and conditions applying to our cruises, then I think that is ok. A post just saying "Happy sailing" whilst maybe well intenioned, adds nothing to the debate and smacks of a marketing ploy, which I don't like (and I'm a very loyal customer of theirs)

[readboat]

I understand how you feel about MSC joining in on the discussions and I agree. I hope that if this is what they are going to do that they learn from the discussions and listen to all the good advice we have on improving MSC and fix the areas that people have problems with.

[PC168]

I don't remember when was the last time I received package from TAs for papertickets. They said if I want paperticket that will cost me $40 for the mail post, so I always print it out online in pdf format.

 

For the luggage tags, forget it, if you print, you need to bring tape with you to the pier, since than, I always bring a permanent marker in my purse when I cruise and the porters have the adhesive luggage tags with them, this is handy.

[readboat]

Thanks for the tip PC. I am putting in a marker right now.

[MSC Cruises USA]

Hi SJPO-

 

Our presence on here is to answer any questions that our guest's may have concerning an upcoming cruise or even any questions post cruise.

 

Thank you,

MSC Cruises USA

[sjpo]

Hi SJPO-

 

Our presence on here is to answer any questions that our guest's may have concerning an upcoming cruise or even any questions post cruise.

 

Thank you,

MSC Cruises USA

 

 

It may be but you are also exposing yourself to possible criticism. It is all very nice to try to give the best information but I am just fresh from a situation in which the service MSC is providing is abysmal.

 

I am trying to do our check-in online. As the booking was done in Germany it has to go through the German web site. To start with dates of birth are not correct for all pax. Second, two of them live in a country which does not appear on the list one has to choose from. Third, when I try to save it tells me that there is a problem with the URL address.

 

I did what I normally do in these occasions and called the representative in Germany. The girl who answered the phone as speaking, from the start as somebody who could not be bothered to talk to anyone and she did not give her name. When I asked if she spoke English I just got a 'No'. There was no attempt to try to find somebody who would. When I explained the problem with the URL she just kept saying 'Try later'. No matter that I was saying it was not a question of time but a wrong URL. When I explained about the dates and countries she just said 'Put what you can and fix it at the port of embarkation'... What is the point of doing a web check-in then???

 

When I had enough of her uselessness I asked to speak to a manager. She just said 'I am not transferring you to anybody, they are all busy' Then I asked if she felt that was service and the answer was 'I am telling you what I am telling you'... Nice, isn't it? And now? If the cruise company representative has this attitude why should I bother to travel with MSC?

[sjpo]

Just goes with what I always say about Misery Shipping Company: the ships are nice, the staff on board (at least the well trained ones) can be wonderful, but all else is mostly below average.

 

It will take a lot, really a lot, to make this a 'happy sailing', if it is starting like this...

[Janet&Carl]

Just goes with what I always say about Misery Shipping Company: the ships are nice, the staff on board (at least the well trained ones) can be wonderful, but all else is mostly below average.

 

It will take a lot, really a lot, to make this a 'happy sailing', if it is starting like this...

sjpo - I hope you will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy your cruise but somehow I doubt that you will - you sound like your setting yourself up to not enjoy it and no matter what anyone else does you will find it harder to be pleased...... if you tried a better attitude you may get a better outcome - happy sailing is what we pay for :p

[sjpo]

Janet, I travel often and I am quite flexible, just cannot stand bad customer service and penny pinching attitude, specially when I am traveling in high season and paying fares which reflect that.

 

The ship may surprise me, as ships are a primary passion, but what I went through this morning just make me feel that these people do not deserve my money. As this was not my first bad experience with MSC I would like to make it the last.

 

Just one more development: TA managed the web check in but the birth dates are still incorrect. I can be easy about quite a lot of things but will not tolerate a 'I don't care attitude' from a company who is paid to provide a service and which may give me more stress for a technical mistake that they themselves are not keen to correct.

[sjpo]

happy sailing is what we pay for :p

 

Janet, I believe I pay for the sailing and for the ship as the happy part is subject to many factors but as far as these factors are not made even more negative by failures on the part of the ship operator, I am kind of ok with them.

 

I also tend to believe that, nice as the ships are, and although they have a tedency for diagonal rolling (lenght + hull design), they would have a happier career in the hands of Celebrity or even HAL if the ratio pax/space was a bit more generous

[readboat]

I will be very interested in seeing your review when you come back. I have had no problems when calling MSC for help on the web site. I had a problem with the dining time and also with past port, all my calls (5) were handled in a friendly professional manner.

Had I gotten the service you did from MSC Germany I would be very nervous about my trip.

Let's hope that you talked to the one lousy MSC rep and If MSC is still reading our comments they will look into it and train these person in proper customer care. forget all this trouble and sail away with a light heart and an open mind.

[AmoMondo]

Whilst I'm not attempting to excuse bad service and admin errors ( and I've encountered a fair few number of those myself with MSC UK over the years), I can't help wondering if part of the issue is language.? I'm fairly sure if a german was resident in the UK, booked with a UK office (of any travel company), they would need to communicate in English. can't imagine them having fluent German speakers to hand.

[Capricruiser]

I'll have to agree that administration is not MSC's best asset. Its ships are lovely and I've never had major problems on board whether it be cabin, food, service, etc. Now I've never had to deal with MSC USA, or MSC UK or MSC Germany, but MSC Italy's administration leaves much to be desired. Over the years I've had problems getting them to make minor corrections, change a cabin, and on my past two cruises, trying to get proper MSC Club credits for my cruise days and on board expenses. Luckily my TA has a close friend at MSC headquarters in Naples and only through him I've had my problems and issues resolved. I will admit that when something was finally resolved I've received personal telephone calls from some nice MSC clerk letting me know everything is now okay and apologizing for the inconvenience. Why they can't get things right the first time is beyond me.

[sjpo]

I will be very interested in seeing your review when you come back. I have had no problems when calling MSC for help on the web site. I had a problem with the dining time and also with past port, all my calls (5) were handled in a friendly professional manner.

Had I gotten the service you did from MSC Germany I would be very nervous about my trip.

Let's hope that you talked to the one lousy MSC rep and If MSC is still reading our comments they will look into it and train these person in proper customer care. forget all this trouble and sail away with a light heart and an open mind.

 

Thanks. Promise will be an impartial one. I love ships and my feeling for the cruise depends much on the vibe of the ship and how I feel about it. The other details are not always a deal breaker for me but they certainly have an influence (and luckily I never had to have days at sea on a ship with bad food). Lets say that after my phone call I was wishing far more than simply a re-training for that creature, but...

[sjpo]

Whilst I'm not attempting to excuse bad service and admin errors ( and I've encountered a fair few number of those myself with MSC UK over the years), I can't help wondering if part of the issue is language.? I'm fairly sure if a german was resident in the UK, booked with a UK office (of any travel company), they would need to communicate in English. can't imagine them having fluent German speakers to hand.

 

Well, not really. I know in the UK foreign languages can be a problem, but having lived a long time in both countries I can tell you that most ten years old kids here can do more than a pair of phrases in English. Anybody born after 1960 more or less can speak English. And I did throw my best German at her, it was good enough for my colleagues to know exactly what was going on. She was uncooperative from the moment she answered the phone, she really did not care at all. Never even asked my booking number or my name. But I know what you mean, language can sometimes be a problem.

[sjpo]

I'll have to agree that administration is not MSC's best asset. Its ships are lovely and I've never had major problems on board whether it be cabin, food, service, etc. Now I've never had to deal with MSC USA, or MSC UK or MSC Germany, but MSC Italy's administration leaves much to be desired. Over the years I've had problems getting them to make minor corrections, change a cabin, and on my past two cruises, trying to get proper MSC Club credits for my cruise days and on board expenses. Luckily my TA has a close friend at MSC headquarters in Naples and only through him I've had my problems and issues resolved. I will admit that when something was finally resolved I've received personal telephone calls from some nice MSC clerk letting me know everything is now okay and apologizing for the inconvenience. Why they can't get things right the first time is beyond me.

 

I would think a friend in Naples would help as it would one in Genova for Costa :-) It was just surprisingly bad considering I was a booked pax. The UK office was very correct and helpful. It may happen once in a while but it was not a good experience.

[AmoMondo]

Well, not really. I know in the UK foreign languages can be a problem, but having lived a long time in both countries I can tell you that most ten years old kids here can do more than a pair of phrases in English. Anybody born after 1960 more or less can speak English. And I did throw my best German at her, it was good enough for my colleagues to know exactly what was going on. She was uncooperative from the moment she answered the phone, she really did not care at all. Never even asked my booking number or my name. But I know what you mean, language can sometimes be a problem.

Thanks for explaining that sjpo. You are spot on about the UK and languages. Most consider me weird for persisting in learning to speak other European languages "Why bother, they understand English" is the usual response!

 

I'd be "spitting chips" after an encounter you had. In the 7 years I've been dealing with them, I find the main issues are their adminstration (or lack there of) and providing accurate timely information. they make too many stupid little mistakes. I've had some really illogical expalnations for things from the Flight department in particualr over the years. On the whole the UK office does seem to have improved (either that or I'm getting better staff because of my Black card status!). It's rare but not non existent that I've encountered a staff member as dowright rude as the girl you had to suffer. ...frankly she has no business being in any customer facing industry whatsoever with an attitude like that.

 

Whilst MSC are making changes (like evening buffets, water etc) they'd be best advised to get their admin and attention to detail sorted out and have a zero tolerance policy with customer facing staff who behave like the girl you encountered.

[sjpo]

Thanks for explaining that sjpo. You are spot on about the UK and languages. Most consider me weird for persisting in learning to speak other European languages "Why bother, they understand English" is the usual response!

 

I'd be "spitting chips" after an encounter you had. In the 7 years I've been dealing with them, I find the main issues are their adminstration (or lack there of) and providing accurate timely information. they make too many stupid little mistakes. I've had some really illogical expalnations for things from the Flight department in particualr over the years. On the whole the UK office does seem to have improved (either that or I'm getting better staff because of my Black card status!). It's rare but not non existent that I've encountered a staff member as dowright rude as the girl you had to suffer. ...frankly she has no business being in any customer facing industry whatsoever with an attitude like that.

 

Whilst MSC are making changes (like evening buffets, water etc) they'd be best advised to get their admin and attention to detail sorted out and have a zero tolerance policy with customer facing staff who behave like the girl you encountered.

 

 

I agree. However what I tend to feel as their main problem is the flow of information and the training. Both faulty. Also some penny pinching measures here and there which end up not been the cost savings they aim at. They could start by placing the ships under Italian flag...

[Worm61]

It would be very wise for MSC to come on here & snoop & read all the comments of past cruisers that's been on their ships if it bothers some of you , it doesn't bother me if a representative comes on & helps me with any questions i have that's great as for tickets don't know how we are getting them i think it would be better to print them out like airlines ( i don't trust the post any more ) & to put the labels on at port we won't be having trouble with the SUN wer'e not getting any .....if standing there for long time tickets may get wet though :rolleyes:

[pmacher61]

I concur that the active presence of an MSC company rep on these boards can facilitate improvements of the company's service and product. I'm not an MSC fan because its product is not currently competitive especially since I don't have little kids that can sail free ("free" goes a long way in compensating for "bad"). Hopefully, as MSC CRUISES USA becomes familiar with the feedback expressed on CC, MSC will see the necessity of improving the quality of its product.

 

For starters I would review the hiring and training process of all levels of employees. I have never read so many horror stories of insulent ship officers and ill trained crew as I have on the MSC threads.

[mickatkirkby]

We received tickets yesterday DHL from Naples. We join Poesia in Keil 10th. Sept 2011 4 nights back to Southampton en route Transatlantic for winter sun. We booked direct with MSC, saw advert on Gills website, Gills never returned my enquiry.....wasn't I the lucky one !!!! Only ever done P&O (Ventura twice this year) so we are giving the Italians a try....I'll let you know how it turns out but going 4 nights without English beer is a worry......

[Worm61]

Well we got our tickets today with a booklet etc from Virgin so we are ready now :)