Is MSC still solo friendly?

[travelberlin]

Hi everybody, has anybody done a booking for one passenger for an MSC repositioning from Europe to South America for november next year? Did you get a solo suplement of 50% or less?

I have requested a quotation from my travel agent and the solo suplement is 100%. Could this be a mistake?

[sidari]

Hi TravelBerlin .... It seems that MSC is not being very Friendly to anyone just now let along Solo travelers! unless of course you want to book the Divina.

[Skipper Tim]

Hi everybody, has anybody done a booking for one passenger for an MSC repositioning from Europe to South America for november next year? Did you get a solo suplement of 50% or less?

I have requested a quotation from my travel agent and the solo suplement is 100%. Could this be a mistake?

 

If it is not a mistake that is the end of my MSC cruising days! Let us wait and see fares published on the web. There is the possibility that requesting a quote for something before it is officially on sale forces the fare and supplement to maximum as the default to cover themselves.

[portofrome]

I had the same suspicion when I downloaded the italian winter brochure 2014-15 and discovered any note about the single supplement (usually as solo supplement they wrote 50% on the brochure).

[AmoMondo]

I suspect not. Tried to book a Lirica cruise last week and they told me it was not available to sell at solo occupancy (even although they still had cabins left and the sailing is later this month - would appear they'd stupidly rather have an empty cabin, than only one person in it. Ah well their loss and Costa's gain!).

 

I'm hoping when the UK releases the Sutumn itineraries, we will still get a reasonable deal, but I'm prepared for the bad old days when they charged 80% on insides and 100% on everything else! regardless of itinerary.

[portofrome]

This is what I would say:

 

 

" I had the same suspicion when I downloaded the italian winter brochure 2014-15 and I didn't find any note about the single supplement (usually as solo supplement they wrote 50% on the brochure)."

[travelberlin]

Apparently there is no mistake. The only rate which is showing in the system of my travel agent for repositioning cruises from MSC from Europe to South America is the so called "2 for 1" rate. This is already an inflated price for the cruise, in which they try to make you believe you are getting a good offer in which two passengers cruise for the price of one, but actually the offered price is already double. I believe there was a thread on this subject.

Under solo passenger does not appear in the system anything less than the double price also.

I have requested tha "early booking rate" instead of the "2 for 1" and the answer is that the only rate available at the moment is the "2 for 1". Should not be the arly booking rate first? In any case once more is becoming very complicated to do a booking with MSC. :(

[sharecruises]

Ouch...

 

and then MSC will send out various deals upon deals, so many it gets confusing

 

I think if they don't fill the ship the way they want they may run a sale

 

the only problem is - their "sales' and specials often do not apply to people already booked and/or do not apply to group rates

 

other cruise lines do honor sales and specials <sigh>

 

 

they might as well call it "Fire Sale" LOL

[Willow1686]

I tried running a singles search for MSC cruises on the online TA which I use most frequently and it came up with only one MSC cruise: Santos to Malta in March 2014.

 

They wanted just over £2k for an inside cabin; in fairness this included flights and an overnight stay in Santos but it's a lot of money for a repo.

 

The total absence on any other MSC cruises with singles pricing does not look promising.

 

On the other hand Fred Olsen is ramping up it's no single supplements offers, and since the food on my West African Braemar cruise was indisputably hot when it was supposed to be hot, and cold when it's supposed to be cold it seems that FO may have read Paax (spelling?) complaint about this and rectified it.

 

And I am addicted to their Tempura batter fried fish and chips, cooked to order up on the pooldeck, so I have been suffering withdrawal symptoms through the festive season...

Edited January 4, 2014 by Willow1686
Inserting sterling sign on the price to avoid confusion

[travelberlin]

I tried running a singles search for MSC cruises on the online TA which I use most frequently and it came up with only one MSC cruise: Santos to Malta in March 2014.

 

They wanted just over £2k for an inside cabin; in fairness this included flights and an overnight stay in Santos but it's a lot of money for a repo.

 

The total absence on any other MSC cruises with singles pricing does not look promising.

 

On the other hand Fred Olsen is ramping up it's no single supplements offers, and since the food on my West African Braemar cruise was indisputably hot when it was supposed to be hot, and cold when it's supposed to be cold it seems that FO may have read Paax (spelling?) complaint about this and rectified it.

 

And I am addicted to their Tempura batter fried fish and chips, cooked to order up on the pooldeck, so I have been suffering withdrawal symptoms through the festive season...

 

Does Fred Olsen reposition to South America? As much as I enjoy MSC I am afraid that what they are expecting for me to pay for a repositioning cruise (they prefer to call it grand voyage but it is not more that a repositioning cruise) does not seems to be good value for money. I have received a quotation of about US 4000 solo occupancy for 19 night cruise with MSC from Europe to South America. No flight or gratuities included.

I have received a quotation with anothercruiseline, 15 nights from Europe to South America solo occupancy for US 2100 (gratuities included). Thanks God there is competition:)

Edited January 4, 2014 by travelberlin

[Willow1686]

travelberlin

 

Oddly enough, Fred Olsen goes just about everywhere; I am currently trying to resist their 32 day fly cruise from San Diego back to Southampton in March 2014 which is now on sale for around £2400 for a solo passenger including the flight out to San Diego.

 

Obviously the last bit is the transatlantic crossing but there is a Panama transit and a fair few ports on the itinerary which I would like to see as well; other FO cruises head to and from South America.

 

I think FO has looked very hard at the demographics; the number of households in the Uk with a single adult householder has increased and it looks as if it will increase still further.

 

It may be that the planners at MSC have placed all their eggs in the one basket of families in the US market; the most recent offers from my online TA included a couple more MSC cruises with solo pricing but it's pretty feeble by comparison with other lines. As you say, thank God for competition :)

[francina]

Are kids still free?

 

 

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[AmoMondo]

Are kids still free?

 

 

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Yes

[francina]

Thank you

 

 

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[travelberlin]

Somehow, I had the feeling that there were more solo MSC cruisers at the cruise critic boards than the ones that have answer to this thread. There are lots of indications that solos are loosing previous benefits and not many people care?

[anniegb]

Solo Bargain of the day - not

 

May 24 2 nights on the Opera ex SOTON Balcony cabin.........drum roll please........ £644.

 

Annie

[forbesfan]

Hello Annie, I'm guessing its Annie of Lirica fame - Dave here how are you.? Regarding the cruise you have just mentioned I will book if you do, how's that for an offer!! Please let me know if you see any real deals for us lonely ones.

All the best

[AmoMondo]

Just come offawebinar hosted by MSC UK and they got a few questions re solos. They said they definitely welcome bookings from solos and that whilst the standard brochure supplement is in the region of 50-80% we should always call them because they may be prepared to do a better deal if the cruise sailing is not selling well. Told us not to just rely on what the website was saying.

[anniegb]

Hello Annie, I'm guessing its Annie of Lirica fame - Dave here how are you.? Regarding the cruise you have just mentioned I will book if you do, how's that for an offer!! Please let me know if you see any real deals for us lonely ones.

All the best

 

I thought you were cruising in January??

 

Tempting as it is, as a canny Scot I cannot imagine for 1 millisecond that I would travel to SOTON and spend £644 on a balcony cabin for 2 nights - how much is Silverseas?? :)

 

BTW there is a thread on cc where folks post good solo deals.

 

Annie

[anniegb]

Does Fred Olsen reposition to South America? As much as I enjoy MSC I am afraid that what they are expecting for me to pay for a repositioning cruise (they prefer to call it grand voyage but it is not more that a repositioning cruise) does not seems to be good value for money. I have received a quotation of about US 4000 solo occupancy for 19 night cruise with MSC from Europe to South America. No flight or gratuities included.

I have received a quotation with anothercruiseline, 15 nights from Europe to South America solo occupancy for US 2100 (gratuities included). Thanks God there is competition:)

 

FO does not reposition to South America but has frequent cruises to SA.

 

They currently have a very good Hong Kong via Japan and Hawaii to San Diego.

 

If I did not have a South African month long safari/cruise trip planned, I would have probably booked it.

 

Annie

[travelberlin]

Hi everybody,

I have been away for a while. Could somebody update some info on this thread in relation to solo supplements?

Thanks

Ivi

[portofrome]

I tried to book the Fantasia in January 2015 and the solo supplement was the 100%. So I booked a different cruise, with a different cruise line, for less.

Edited March 14, 2014 by portofrome

[forbesfan]

I think you will struggle to find any without a supplement and most attract 50% +. There was a similar thread a few weeks back that was rather harsh on MSC. The days of £25 per night on the grand voyages without supp. Have long gone. Such a shame but it's their right to charge what price they like and we have the right to buy or not!

 

 

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Forbesfan

[AmoMondo]

From the ones I've looked at, the supplement appears to be 50% in the Uk, although I've heard mention of some at only 25%. Think the zero on repos has gone for now.

[bridgetjonesni]

We just paid 50% single supplement for a Med cruise in December for my sister. We booked from the UK site.