Found a new game...Wanna Play?

[Chirpbird]

So, I'm on the MSC Cruises USA site, and I'm trying to book beverage packages. Sweet! More money for them.

 

Here's the game. You enter all your freaking booking info, you decipher the inscrutable twisty text, and you hit enter. Then you pray, pray, pray you will get past the "System is busy. Please try again in a few minutes," pop-up window.

 

I'm pretty sure I won't get to book my packages tonight, but I can't seem to stop trying. :D

[travelinggrands]

While trying to book an excursion for our 2/8/14 cruise on Divina, I kept getting a message that my booking # was wrong. Checked with my T.A. & she gave me a couple of different numbers. All were wrong. Called a rep in Miami & she could view our reservation using the original #. She just "didn't know why" I couldn't get to it. A few days later, it worked. Again trying to book this trip (booking#, ship name, date, names) a window suddenly opened on the right side, saying we were in Bolivia. I just backed out to the web & entered MSC's site again. Finally got it booked & acknowledged. The e-mail confirmation said I had to "check the box below" & return it to them. There was no box.

Booking our drink package was a scene out of Abbot & Costello. Getting our group's luggage tags e-mailed nearly drove T.A. to drink. All is good right now; just keep smiling & bring paper copies of everything!:)

[neptuno]

Yes, it has been a common complaint about MSC. Hopefully corporate will smell the coffee and update or repair the glitches. Until then, persevere.

[MSC Cruises USA]

We apologize for any trouble. Please call us directly at 866-545-8088 and our cruise consultants will be able to assist you in adding the desired packages or shore excursions.

 

Regards,

[Katgoesonholiday]

Hate hate HATE the twisty text! I can never get it right the first time, or the second, and I have two university degrees so obviously not completely illiterate.

[Chirpbird]

Me, too! I have two college degrees, and one of them is English. And, there I sit, like Mr. Magoo, squinting at the darn screen trying to figure out the twisty text. And, thank you, MSC Cruises! I wok be calling.

 

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[travelinggrands]

You do know that you can choose another squiggly code & make it larger with your mouse, yes? I agree that they are difficult to see. I did call MSC to order our drink package. Every time I tried to order them on line, I was forwarded to the excursion page (?). First gal said I could order over the phone, if I wanted to pay in advance (well, yea), & transferred me to another dept. (I figured she wasn't cleared to handle money). That lady pulled up our reservation (booking #, ship, date, names) & informed me that, because we were part of a group, only our T.A. could order this package for us. Called T.A., gave her our cc# & she ordered for us, using her name & our card. I'm sure there is a security reason for all of this, but there has to be an easier way. Sigh

[Bob7]

While trying to book an excursion for our 2/8/14 cruise on Divina, I kept getting a message that my booking # was wrong. Checked with my T.A. & she gave me a couple of different numbers. All were wrong. Called a rep in Miami & she could view our reservation using the original #. She just "didn't know why" I couldn't get to it. A few days later, it worked. Again trying to book this trip (booking#, ship name, date, names) a window suddenly opened on the right side, saying we were in Bolivia. I just backed out to the web & entered MSC's site again. Finally got it booked & acknowledged. The e-mail confirmation said I had to "check the box below" & return it to them. There was no box.

Booking our drink package was a scene out of Abbot & Costello. Getting our group's luggage tags e-mailed nearly drove T.A. to drink. All is good right now; just keep smiling & bring paper copies of everything!:)

Yes bring paper for anything you've purchased. We went thru the same hassles booking a wine package on the Poesia. First night in the dining room they had no record of our purchase, to their credit the head waiter and wine steward ran around looking at all their records, found nothing, and finally gave us that one raised eyebrow reserved for scallywags and rascals. My wife looked at me, the scallywag, and said she might have tossed the receipt in with hotel papers. I looked at her, the rascal, and said I'll dash back to the cabin and see if it's in that bag. I found the receipt, made an appropriate loud victory noise, and took it back to the dining room. They looked over my receipt as if they were holding a counterfeit one dollar bill, but did not send me back to the cabin for government photo ID, and got us some wine. Strange how good wine can taste when you've had to work so hard for it.

-Bob

[MotownVoice]

It must drive MSC crazy to have to watch Cruise Critic for complaints so they can keep customers happy who don't even bother to call directly and instead just create gripe threads on an unrelated website.

 

I suspect they have a staff just to watch this website for cruisers with a complaint who apparently have no phone service.

[Chirpbird]

Hi Motown Voice - I'm an IT professional, so I have a different opinion than you. First, I don't like to call. I like being able to use a website to make my purchases while I'm at lunch or on the train or bored in a meeting. Second, if you can't get your website to reliably allow sales, then don't even have that ability on the website. Just offer descriptions, and advise people to call in. Third, I didn't actually complain. I made fun of myself for continuing to try and place an order even though I was poetry darn sure it was never going to work.

 

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[MotownVoice]

You lost me at "I don't like to call."

 

Basically what you're advocating is a temper tantrum.

 

"If I can't do it on the website THEN I WON'T DO IT AT ALL!"

 

And for those who think it's just MSC threads. Take a little tour around Cruise Critic. It's everywhere. Every cruise is the worst ever, according to them. Every company has garbage customer services. No one will ever be happy some complainers will tell you about virtually every cruise line in this website. There are threads in every cruise line filter that has its shares of complainers who refuse to call for help because it feels better to complain in a web thread and have people pat you on the back and agree with you.

[travelinggrands]

I just a dumb, green eyed grandma. Usually, when things don't go right, I've done something wrong or not done something right; & try to correct it or learn something. Everything has worked out, so far.:)

I do understand that MSC is working with customers all over the world, not just No. Americans & translations can get a bit "odd" & easily misunderstood...I do understand that websites are constantly being worked on & upgraded...But if they make it difficult for people to buy their products, it will affect their bottom line.

I am from the paper generation, desperately hanging on to my old computer (XP), because I don't want to take on W8.

[Chirpbird]

Hello again - I think you're assigning motives to my actions that aren't there. I like to handle my personal business during my downtime. However, I may not be alone during that downtime, and I don't like to force others to listen to me book a drink package on a cruise. I prefer doing my business online without disturbing others.

 

If I have a complaint, which again this wasn't, I will pick up the phone. But, I hate, hate, hate using the phone. I grew up without one, and I just don't like being on them. Trust me, if you ever saw one of my tantrums, you'd know this thread does not qualify.

[Katgoesonholiday]

I think motownvoice makes a good point. Obviously it is far better to pick up the phone and gripe loud and long at a local customer service person who has no control over the functioning of the website, than to post a joking thread on an unrelated website about ones compulsion to repetitive and futile behavior.

 

*sarcasm inserted*

[Chirpbird]

On a positive note, I've now memorized my booking number. It's still not doing me any good on the website, but I can't seem to stop trying. It's like I'm determined to beat the computer.

 

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[MotownVoice]

So we've shifted into, "Oh this was only sarcasm" gear.

 

It's clear in your original post you were playing to the annoyed in the room.

[Katgoesonholiday]

So we've shifted into, "Oh this was only sarcasm" gear.

 

It's clear in your original post you were playing to the annoyed in the room.

 

Quidquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur

[Chirpbird]

OP here - I never mentioned sarcasm. I came on this site to point out how I was getting sucked into an idiotic, childish game with a website. Do I find the website to be annoying? Yes. As do others, apparently. If that doesn't fit with how you operate, so be it.

 

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[AmoMondo]

OP here - I never mentioned sarcasm. I came on this site to point out how I was getting sucked into an idiotic, childish game with a website. Do I find the website to be annoying? Yes. As do others, apparently. If that doesn't fit with how you operate, so be it.

 

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I'm with you on this one. Have similar frustrations with the UK site. In this modern world companies have to deliver services though many channels. There are those of us who have chosen to use the online services because it works with our lifestyles. I can do stuff at home late at night or early morning on my sofa. I also don't use the phone service unless there is simply no other way of doing it. It's not a temper tantrum but the reality of not being able to easily make calls during working hours. You rarely get through right away and hanging online when I have a packed day full of meetings and work to do doesn't suit me.

 

If you have an online offering (and let's face it all companies do need to have this now) then it should work., when it comes to the simple stuff like being able to place an order for something that is on sale.

[jessabella]

Id have to say that not everyone thinks the same..not all of us wants to pick up a phone while our children are screaming in the background..and for some of us..we have to then speak a foregn language just to get service as we live overseas..so it is easier for us to use the site that can be translated to English..or should we have to spend money to sit on hold calling American or UK phone lines...:eek:

Not everyone has the opportunity to ring due to time, or possibly working during the open hours...or possibly having a disabled child during open hours..or even some of us overseas..so wouldn't it be easier to have a stable working website ...that is a great start...that way we don't have to rush to call every single time a small thing is needed. Or atleast return emails ..that would help too...I didnt come here to complain but hate when people jump and say why cant you just do this...

[MotownVoice]

Id have to say that not everyone thinks the same..not all of us wants to pick up a phone while our children are screaming in the background..and for some of us..we have to then speak a foregn language just to get service as we live overseas..so it is easier for us to use the site that can be translated to English..or should we have to spend money to sit on hold calling American or UK phone lines...:eek:

Not everyone has the opportunity to ring due to time, or possibly working during the open hours...or possibly having a disabled child during open hours..or even some of us overseas..so wouldn't it be easier to have a stable working website ...that is a great start...that way we don't have to rush to call every single time a small thing is needed. Or atleast return emails ..that would help too...I didnt come here to complain but hate when people jump and say why cant you just do this...

 

If you're living in Italy, perhaps you should consider learning the language. Or is that even heavier than that 2 ton smartphone?

[cruisingcanadian]

Such a rude response:eek:!

[jessabella]

I do speak Italian my dear raven though I've only just moved here last year ..but speaking over the phone can be chlleging times...not all of us can learn our third language fluently in matter of a few months...oh and my smartphone is very light thanks one of the lightest on the market...thats why I switched.

 

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[Mattingly23]

Such a rude response:eek:!

 

Stop feeding the trolls and they'll go elsewhere.

[Chirpbird]

Yeah, I realized a few posts ago that trying to beat the MSC website wasn't the only childish, petty game I was drawn into. :-D