Future cruise on board credit for €10 - any info?

[Skipper Tim]

Apologies for double posting but I thought that this may be worth its own thread.

 

I have read two mentions (only) on this forum of a voucher that can be purchased on board at a cost of €10 that gives upto €200 of on board credit when booking a future cruise. As ever, there is no information about this on the MSC website.

 

Can anyone share any further information they have about this? In particular are there any restrictions regarding itineraries, cabin categories, validity period, booking method, use with other offers etc..

 

All information gratefully received.

 

Thanks,

 

Tim.

[Alex71]

Hi Tim,

 

We were offered this OBC voucher by the "Future Cruise Consultant" on the MSC Opera in July. Here are some of the details:

 

- cost: 10 EUR

- credit: 150 EUR inside / 200 ocean view / 300 balcony

- valid for bookings within 18 months after purchase

- only valid for bookings at full brochure price, not valid with last minute rates

- can be combined with club discounts and early booking discounts

 

The way it works is that you have to send the voucher to your travel agent after booking and he has to submit it to MSC. We didn't know what "brochure price" meant in the internet age with almost daily price changes. This concerned us a little bit, but as the voucher was only 10 EUR, we took our chances.

 

We booked our next cruise about six weeks in advance, right after we had received our club numbers, at a very good price. When we received the tickets yesterday, I saw that the OBC showed up on the ticket, so that "brochure price" restriction did not work to our disadvantage. It's my understanding that the OBC will be deducted from the final bill of your on-board exepenses, no matter what they are (service charge, drinks, excursions, etc). I guess it woudn't be applied towards drink packages you pay for in advance.

[Califonria cruiser]

Any chance it might work if you have a cruise that is already booked? Say I cruise beginning of June and then use the credit for a booking I already have for mid June which starts a week after the first one ends? I never heard of this deal either.

 

Jenn

[Alex71]

I think it said on the voucher it was only valid for new bookings and you had to present it at the time of booking.

[Skipper Tim]

Alex71,

 

Many thanks for that. It was precisely what I needed to know. The only at "full brochure price" is indeed a risk. I thought it was impossible to book at the full brochure price! I am glad that you had success but it is one of those conditions that means they don't have to honour it if they choose not to.

 

Perhaps an MSC representative might be so kind to clarify this point?

 

I can hope.

 

Thanks again,

 

Tim.

[AmoMondo]

I'm on the Musica now and we just got the same offer delivered on a flyer to our cabin this morning.

[Alex71]

I'm on the Musica now and we just got the same offer delivered on a flyer to our cabin this morning.

 

I'm hoping we can pick up another one of them on the Orchestra next week as well. I don't think one can really go wrong with these vouchers. In case it doen't work, it will only be a very minor loss, in case it does work, it will be a substantial perk.

[Skipper Tim]

I'm on the Musica now and we just got the same offer delivered on a flyer to our cabin this morning.

 

AmoMondo,

 

How much is internet aboard?

 

Looking forward to meeting the Musica.

 

Tim.

[AmoMondo]

AmoMondo,

 

How much is internet aboard?

 

Looking forward to meeting the Musica.

 

Tim.

I've gone for 8 hours wifi for €50. There are other packages available . Wifi is not available in the cabin. You need to use a cable to connect. I've not got a laptop so am having to use the hotspots on the public decks to connect with my iPad and iphone

[ellamalta]

I bought this voucher in June, but was not allowed to use it on the cruise I booked for November, as it was special offer. I was not even allowed to use my MSC Club discount, after I was emailing and calling MSC for a whole month to get the card number!

[Jo and Rob]

I wonder if they offer a similar deal in the Caribbean and whether you can transfer the OBC to European sailings. With other cruise lines the main restrictions regarding OBC are that it can't be used for the casino or changing currency plus you can't take the value home if you don't spend it so use it or lose it!

[Skipper Tim]

I bought this voucher in June, but was not allowed to use it on the cruise I booked for November, as it was special offer. I was not even allowed to use my MSC Club discount, after I was emailing and calling MSC for a whole month to get the card number!

 

That is most disconcerting. Was the new boking direct with MSC or via a travel agent? If the latter, do you think the TA was up to the mark?

[AmoMondo]

Any chance it might work if you have a cruise that is already booked? Say I cruise beginning of June and then use the credit for a booking I already have for mid June which starts a week after the first one ends? I never heard of this deal either.

 

Jenn

 

No, I specifically asked this when buying my voucher this week as I've got a cruise booked for next May.

 

It lasts for 18 months and can be used with a MSC club discount or early booking promotion but no other special offers.

[ellamalta]

That is most disconcerting. Was the new boking direct with MSC or via a travel agent? If the latter, do you think the TA was up to the mark?

 

I booked through a travel agent. That is the only way we can book a cruise sailing out from Malta. They did double check for me when I insisted. I dont think it was their fault. The price was very good, so I just booked!

[ellamalta]

That is most disconcerting. Was the new boking direct with MSC or via a travel agent? If the latter, do you think the TA was up to the mark?

 

I booked through a Travel Agent. That is the only way we can book a cruise sailing from Malta. It cannot be done directly with MSC or online. They double checked for me when I insisted for the discount, and I do not think its their fault. I did not hesitate to book since the price was so good, less than half of what we paid in June!

[Skipper Tim]

Over on the 'other forum' someone suggested that this €10 o.b.c. voucher could only be used on Mediterranean cruises.

 

Is there any experience or specific knowledge of being able to use the voucher with repositioning ('Ocean Voyage') cruises?

 

You will note that I defer to the superior wisdom on this forum.

[AmoMondo]

Over on the 'other forum' someone suggested that this €10 o.b.c. voucher could only be used on Mediterranean cruises.

 

Is there any experience or specific knowledge of being able to use the voucher with repositioning ('Ocean Voyage') cruises?

 

You will note that I defer to the superior wisdom on this forum.

 

I've just checked the conditions on the back of my voucher and the only stipulation is that the cruise must be for 7 nights or longer. The amounts of OBC on the front of the voucher are stated in $ & €, so it can't just be for Med sailings.

 

It'll probably another month or so before I attempt to use my voucher as I have to wait for work to start approving annual leave for 2013.

[Alex71]

We just got off the Orchestra today. Our OBC we had bought on the Opera in July was applied automatically without even having to ask. It showed as one of the first positions of our invoice.

 

I picked up another voucher as everything worked so smoothly.

 

I can imagine that some travel agents are pushing back because sending the voucher to MSC means extra work for them, but we got it all: good price for the cruise, club discount, extra discount from our TA and on top of it the OBC.

[ellamalta]

We just got off the Orchestra today. Our OBC we had bought on the Opera in July was applied automatically without even having to ask. It showed as one of the first positions of our invoice.

 

I picked up another voucher as everything worked so smoothly.

 

I can imagine that some travel agents are pushing back because sending the voucher to MSC means extra work for them, but we got it all: good price for the cruise, club discount, extra discount from our TA and on top of it the OBC.

 

Hi Alex71,

 

Can you pls clarify if you paid brochure price or was it a special offer for the cruise?

[Alex71]

Hi Alex71,

 

Can you pls clarify if you paid brochure price or was it a special offer for the cruise?

 

We watched the prices fluctuate over a few weeks and booked when they hit a low. Not sure if it was officially considered a special offer, but it was definitely a very good price. A day later, the prices were again a few hundred euros higher.

[ellamalta]

We watched the prices fluctuate over a few weeks and booked when they hit a low. Not sure if it was officially considered a special offer, but it was definitely a very good price. A day later, the prices were again a few hundred euros higher.

 

But was it written on your voucher that it was not available on special offers? And when you said you found it already deducted from your bill, did you still have to give it to the travel agent, or did they know about it automatically? My travel agent did not even give me the club discount because he said it was not available with special offers!

[Alex71]

But was it written on your voucher that it was not available on special offers? And when you said you found it already deducted from your bill, did you still have to give it to the travel agent, or did they know about it automatically? My travel agent did not even give me the club discount because he said it was not available with special offers!

 

The new voucher we picked up on the Orchestra says this: "... It cannot be combined with other promotions, with the exception of the MSC Club discount and the Early Booking discount, as detailed in the brochure. It is only valid for a seven days (or longer) cruise booked at current brochure price."

 

I think the text on the other voucher was the same, but I don't have it on hand anymore as I sent it in.

 

The process was the following: I booked the next cruise through an online travel agent in Leipzig and entered into the comment field on the booking page that I had this voucher.

 

They got back to me by e-mail and told me that I needed to send them the voucher by mail as they needed to send it to MSC. After that, I never heard back from them so I assumed everything was ok. When I received the online ticket by e-mail, it showed the OBC in the special services section.

 

When I got my invoice for the on board expenses on the morning of disembarkation, it showed the OBC as a negative position on the bill, lowering it by 150 EUR.

 

We had booked a guarantee cabin (cat 1) and received an ocean view cabin (cat 5). The OBC we received was only the 150 EUR for the cabin we paid for, not the 200 EUR for the category we received. No complaints though, seems reasonable to me.

 

Not sure if it would be ok for me to post the price we paid on this board, but believe me, it was low. On top of it, our two kids were free.

[ellamalta]

The new voucher we picked up on the Orchestra says this: "... It cannot be combined with other promotions, with the exception of the MSC Club discount and the Early Booking discount, as detailed in the brochure. It is only valid for a seven days (or longer) cruise booked at current brochure price."

 

I think the text on the other voucher was the same, but I don't have it on hand anymore as I sent it in.

 

The process was the following: I booked the next cruise through an online travel agent in Leipzig and entered into the comment field on the booking page that I had this voucher.

 

They got back to me by e-mail and told me that I needed to send them the voucher by mail as they needed to send it to MSC. After that, I never heard back from them so I assumed everything was ok. When I received the online ticket by e-mail, it showed the OBC in the special services section.

 

When I got my invoice for the on board expenses on the morning of disembarkation, it showed the OBC as a negative position on the bill, lowering it by 150 EUR.

 

We had booked a guarantee cabin (cat 1) and received an ocean view cabin (cat 5). The OBC we received was only the 150 EUR for the cabin we paid for, not the 200 EUR for the category we received. No complaints though, seems reasonable to me.

 

Not sure if it would be ok for me to post the price we paid on this board, but believe me, it was low. On top of it, our two kids were free.

 

 

Thanks so much for your detailed answer. My voucher has the same wording. I shall email MSC directly (though it normally takes ages for them to reply), to see if they can do anything about it. I was very disappointed about it not being accepted because the person who had sold it to me on board had told me it will be accepted on any cruise within the time frame.

[Alex71]

A quick update: we were not able to use the voucher for our New Year's cruise we booked this week. This time, it was clarified to us that the voucher was applicable with Rapido and catalogue rates only.