MSC pulling out of UK from 2015

[anniegb]

Breaking news:

 

MSC is halting UK departures from early 2015 and is unsure whether it will return.

 

They want to concentrate on fly/cruise.

 

Annie

Edited January 27, 2014 by anniegb

[sidari]

Angie .. Where did the info come from ?

[papcx]

Breaking news:

 

 

 

MSC is halting UK departures from early 2015 and is unsure whether it will return.

 

 

 

They want to concentrate on fly/cruise.

 

 

 

Annie

 

 

Hi Annie.

 

Interesting story, I can't find any reference to it. Do you have an inside contact?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited January 27, 2014 by papcx

[sidari]

papcx ... here is a link i found to the story.

 

http://www.cruises.co.uk/109-cruise_news/39895-msc_pulls_out_uk_departures.html

[anniegb]

Sorry folks, I don't post links to rival forums.

 

However Giles Hawke has been promoted.

 

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2014/01/27/46764/giles-hawke-promoted-to-executive-director-of-msc-cruises.html

 

Annie

[Pennbank]

Try Travel Mole

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=2&m_id=s~_rn~Ad~A&w_id=9660&news_id=2009957

[papcx]

Interesting, but I don't think it's the whole story (it never is with MSC)

 

I can understand why they may stop cruising from the UK, but I can't see them not cruising the Norwegian Fjords or the Baltic Sea at all.

 

Copenhagen will probably benefit greatly from this decision.

[Alex71]

I have to say that the UK is a litle bit out of the way for a Norway or Baltic cruise, so I can see that they would want to leave directly from Hamburg or Kiel.

 

We sailed from IJmuiden on the Opera in Summer 2012 with stops in St. Peter Port (cancelled), La Coruna, Bilbao, La Rochelle and Southampton. While we enjoyed the atmosphere on board and the kids are still raving about the kids club, the Opera was a little small for the bad weather and the high waves.

 

La Rochelle was fantastic, but other than that, we didn't find the ports too memorable, so I can see why people prefer to cruise in the Meds or Baltics.

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

It seems like the main embarkation ports for cruises in the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic Sea will be Hamburg, Kiel, Warnemünde and Copenhagen. Will be exciting to see. Rumours says that MSC Splendida will have her homeport in Northern Europe in the summerseason 2015. If so that's the first time a Fantasiaclass ship will sail in this part of Europe.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Norwegian Cruiser 73

[anniegb]

I have to say that the UK is a litle bit out of the way for a Norway or Baltic cruise, so I can see that they would want to leave directly from Hamburg or Kiel.

 

We sailed from IJmuiden on the Opera in Summer 2012 with stops in St. Peter Port (cancelled), La Coruna, Bilbao, La Rochelle and Southampton. While we enjoyed the atmosphere on board and the kids are still raving about the kids club, the Opera was a little small for the bad weather and the high waves.

 

La Rochelle was fantastic, but other than that, we didn't find the ports too memorable, so I can see why people prefer to cruise in the Meds or Baltics.

 

I agree.

 

Annie

[sidari]

If the prices being charged for cruise only from Hamburg is anything to go by for Magnifica cruises this year it is clear that they are aiming at the German/ Northern Europeans and will charge silly prices for air travel from the UK for anyone wanting to book these cruises.

[MM42]

Rumours says that MSC Splendida will have her homeport in Northern Europe in the summerseason 2015.

 

Not a rumour anymore: http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/hamburg-bags-a-fantasia-class-ship-on-top-of-hefty-2013-growth.html

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

Not a rumour anymore: http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/hamburg-bags-a-fantasia-class-ship-on-top-of-hefty-2013-growth.html

 

Thanks a lot for the link MM42, very exciting news:) The Yacht Club is suddenly much closer :D

[Willow1686]

Thanks a lot for the link MM42, very exciting news:) The Yacht Club is suddenly much closer :D

 

They wouldn't let me book a Yacht club cruise because I'm solo, despite offering to pay 100% supplement.

 

Though they are inundating my email account with offer after offer of free balcony upgrades, and a new Webinar in March to tell me exciting things. It's just that none of them include solo travellers.

 

I'm just about given up on them...

[papcx]

They wouldn't let me book a Yacht club cruise because I'm solo, despite offering to pay 100% supplement.

 

 

 

Though they are inundating my email account with offer after offer of free balcony upgrades, and a new Webinar in March to tell me exciting things. It's just that none of them include solo travellers.

 

 

 

I'm just about given up on them...

 

 

Register for the webinar, and ask a question while it's on.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[sidari]

I wonder if they will retain Three ships in Northern Europe next year as they are doing this year with Poesia, Magnifica and Orchestra ? seeing as the date list still only goes to November 2014.

[Capricruiser]

I wonder if they will retain Three ships in Northern Europe next year as they are doing this year with Poesia, Magnifica and Orchestra ? seeing as the date list still only goes to November 2014.

I'm confident they will. The Northern Europe itineraries including the Baltic Sea and Norwegian Fiords, Iceland, Svalbard, etc. are extremely popular and almost always fill the ships to capacity. The departure ports and airports of Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Hamburg/Kiel are convenient to most European cruisers. The Southampton departures were convenient primarily for the British market which maybe didn't sell as well.

[Elmartellama]

I'm quite happy with the MSC Splendida being based in Hamburg from 2015, we would love to make a Fjords cruise and hope that the Splendida offers this itinerary since the ship is quite well suited for bad weather (covered pools). We are trying MSC Fantasia in June this year so it would be great to make 2 fantasia class cruises in such different locations in 2 years time.

 

Also, maybe the MSC Splendida helps lower the prices for those cruises, which are usually very expensive.

 

About MSC pulling out of UK, it's understandable. There has been a very large increase of capacity for that market. Southampton or Harwich might be great ports for English residents, but for the rest of Europe it's not logical to go to London and then go up to the Baltic / Norway. Even worse is going south from Southampton and suffer the Bay of Biscay.

 

For instance, I just don't like the fact that most Canary cruises depart from the UK, since if you want to enjoy southern warm winter weather, you have to suffer terrible and cold northern weather first!!! What's the logic in that?

 

The cruise lines offer itineraries out of the UK to profit from a vast English catchment area, but to foreign customers I don't see the point, unless you really like and can afford 10 or 14 days cruises.

[Skipper Tim]

An increase in capacity for German sailings and total removal of UK sailings looks like an admission of failure of the UK operation to me.

 

The least desirable change is the one so far being hinted at: cruise fares inflated by inclusive airfares when we have multitudes of low cost carrier and free/points options available to us around Europe and beyond. The chances are we will value the compulsory included flights far lower than MSC and will lose flexibility and control over timings, airlines and even airports for the greater expense.

 

We shall see but so far it looks like several simultaneous retrograde steps for UK cruisers.

[anniegb]

An increase in capacity for German sailings and total removal of UK sailings looks like an admission of failure of the UK operation to me.

 

The least desirable change is the one so far being hinted at: cruise fares inflated by inclusive airfares when we have multitudes of low cost carrier and free/points options available to us around Europe and beyond. The chances are we will value the compulsory included flights far lower than MSC and will lose flexibility and control over timings, airlines and even airports for the greater expense.

 

We shall see but so far it looks like several simultaneous retrograde steps for UK cruisers.

 

MSC UK office next to go??

 

Annie

[sidari]

MSC UK office next to go??

 

Annie ... Could that be a reason they cannot meet their deadlines for responding to customer enquiries or is it still down to being Micro managed from Naples ? and that came from MSC UK !

[anniegb]

MSC UK office next to go??

 

Annie ... Could that be a reason they cannot meet their deadlines for responding to customer enquiries or is it still down to being Micro managed from Naples ? and that came from MSC UK !

 

Hi Sidari

 

Pure speculation on my part but I don't see the logic of maintaining a UK office. However they have MSC USA and Australia offices - maybe an English speaking office for their English language customers??

 

I would put the probability of micro managing from Napoli very high.

 

If RCI can relocate their UK office function to Guatemala, nothing surprises me anymore.

 

Annie

Edited January 29, 2014 by anniegb

[Skipper Tim]

Perhaps Giles Hawke was brought in to see over an orderly demise?

 

It would make sense to centralise when all decision-making and power rests with either Genoa or Napoli.

 

I have a recent example of obtaining something from the UK office, which i will keep to myself, that I was not entitled to just by cheekily asking. Perhaps a sign that the staff have seen the end and no longer care?

 

Will the March webinar announce the end of MSC UK in the terms of a "new", "streamlined" operation offering "better" customer service etc. ? It is mightily odd that itineraries less than 9 months away are not on sale in the UK when we are like Americans in that regard, we like to book ahead.

 

Questions, questions....

Edited January 29, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[AmoMondo]

It's always hard to predict what MDC are about. They had a UK office before they did any sailings out of the UK and may continue to do so after they stop sailings from here. Never been on a UK sailing myself. I go overseas to escape UK weather and spending the start and end of a cruise suffering our summer (if it's actually even a year we get one) has never appealed.

 

Do hope they retain cruise only options though for UK pax.

[anniegb]

Perhaps Giles Hawke was brought in to see over an orderly demise?

 

It would make sense to centralise when all decision-making and power rests with either Genoa or Napoli.

 

I have a recent example of obtaining something from the UK office, which i will keep to myself, that I was not entitled to just by cheekily asking. Perhaps a sign that the staff have seen the end and no longer care?

 

Will the March webinar announce the end of MSC UK in the terms of a "new", "streamlined" operation offering "better" customer service etc. ? It is mightily odd that itineraries less than 9 months away are not on sale in the UK when we are like Americans in that regard, we like to book ahead.

 

Questions, questions....

 

I think initially his goal will be to maximise revenue from UK. However I think with some of these changes, some of their passenger base will move elsewhere.

 

Annie