Price difference from US site vs. GB site

[My93mustang]

I know that it has been said before that you can find different rooms on the Europe site vs. the U.S. site. So I called to see about upgrading to The Aurea experience from the Fantastica Experience since it was available on the Europe site for just a few hundred dollars more. When I called they said it was available but over a thousand more. How can they get away with charging us so much more that in Europe. Does not seem fair for us to pay so much more for the same room. The lady I spoke with said there was nothing she could do- I would have to book on Europe site. This just seems unfair to me. What do you guys think or have you tried to do this and have any luck? Thanks ahead!

[Skier52]

I know that it has been said before that you can find different rooms on the Europe site vs. the U.S. site. So I called to see about upgrading to The Aurea experience from the Fantastica Experience since it was available on the Europe site for just a few hundred dollars more. When I called they said it was available but over a thousand more. How can they get away with charging us so much more that in Europe. Does not seem fair for us to pay so much more for the same room. The lady I spoke with said there was nothing she could do- I would have to book on Europe site. This just seems unfair to me. What do you guys think or have you tried to do this and have any luck? Thanks ahead!

 

They get even weirder than that

 

I tried to book a 7 night w. med cruise which was a constant circular route; embark/disembark at Salerno on consecutive Sundays. Cost would have been £1400 pp.

 

However if I delayed embarkation by one day and got on at Genoa for a 7 night cruise, Monday to Monday, the cost would be £499pp. What I had to do was pay for the 7 night cruise, embark at Genoa and disembark at Salerno. (we had to get back to the UK on the Sunday as DW was a teacher so had to be in work on the Monday).

So I had to sacrifice the £71 pp (£142 total), the cost of one night per person, to save a total of £1802 and miss an overnight sail from Salerno to genoa.

 

How mad was that?

 

MSC would not give me a rebate for the one night I was not on board, and what is more I had to fight tooth and nail for the one point in the loyalty scheme which I had paid for of course.. They said I couldn't have it. It was a vital point as without it I had 99 points (GOLD) ; with it I had 100 points (BLACK).

 

They eventually gave it to me as I pointed out that my wife had a BLACK card so I'd get the 20% discount anyway and all the other perks except the free bottle of champagne.

 

 

Pete

Edited February 2, 2016 by Skier52

[vicocala]

Was the price listed in pounds or dollars? If it is pounds remember that 500 pounds isn't the same as 500 dollars or are you saying something else? :confused:

[Skier52]

Was the price listed in pounds or dollars? If it is pounds remember that 500 pounds isn't the same as 500 dollars or are you saying something else? :confused:

 

What I'm saying is that MSC price cruises in a seeming random fashion. Not only do they have different prices between regions but they vary the price within the same region and even the same country to force guests to use certain ports of embarkation and not others.

 

If you convert my pricing in my earlier post the saving would have been $2560 for a sacrifice of $100

[suron]

I know that it has been said before that you can find different rooms on the Europe site vs. the U.S. site. So I called to see about upgrading to The Aurea experience from the Fantastica Experience since it was available on the Europe site for just a few hundred dollars more. When I called they said it was available but over a thousand more. How can they get away with charging us so much more that in Europe. Does not seem fair for us to pay so much more for the same room. The lady I spoke with said there was nothing she could do- I would have to book on Europe site. This just seems unfair to me. What do you guys think or have you tried to do this and have any luck? Thanks ahead!

 

This problem with different prices for Europe and the US is one that seems to cause a lot of bad feeling and rightly so. Americans also seem to get a lot more perks than us here in the UK and other European countries. I heard recently of an American couple booking a cruise to meet up with friends from Australia on board. Both couples booked from their own countries, the same category cabins next door to each other and believe it or not the Australian price was far cheaper than that quoted for the Americans so perhaps we should investigate finding an Australian outlet!!

 

Cannot see this problem going away but we should all keep making complaints to the powers that be and maybe one day we will see us all paying the same equivalent price - can live in hope!

 

Meantime I will keep looking for special offers and all the perks I can get but will still have to beware of the dreaded single supplements to make it a good deal.

 

Good Luck with your future plans

 

Suzanne

[My93mustang]

So when I looked up the price for Aurea Experience in Europe on the Divina it was roughly 2157 Euro which is approx. 2345 US- but when I called the US MSC to upgrade they told me it was over 3300 US- it just seems to me that if anyone anywhere books a room shouldn't we all pay the same price-We all work hard for our money and it doesn't matter where we are from- I just wish these companies didn't get away we these things. Anyway just thought I would see if anyone else found this out when they researched pricing. Sad to say I would be paying double the price in a balcony room-Fantastica Level AND adding on drink package then someone in Europe paying for the Aurea Balcony and having the drink package included. Where is the logic!!! Oh well I plan to have fun anyway- Sailing on March 26th, 2016

[My93mustang]

Do you know if someone from the US can book a reservation through the Europe Site? or vice versa-

[BermudaBound2014]

Do you know if someone from the US can book a reservation through the Europe Site? or vice versa-

 

Someone from the US could purchase from the Europe Site; however I would recommend against it. The US laws are much more consumer friendly than those in Europe. Example, price reductions are not applicable in Europe. In the US, if you book and the price drops we are often given compensation. It is my understanding that this doesn't happen with overseas bookings.

 

But for me that wouldn't be the sticking point. I'd be extra cautious Insuring a trip purchased through Europe. And if you are not insuring from a 3rd party, in the very least I would want to make sure that your health insurance will cover you. The laws just aren't the same. I'm not suggesting US laws are better, or visa versa. I'm just saying they are much different. And while it is allowed to purchase from a different region, I would be very hesitant to do so unless I did more than my due diligence in research first.

 

When I checked my recent Divina purchase against UK pricing, they were compatible in everything except the Aurea experience. FOr some reason, Aurea in the USA is triple what it is in the UK. Since I wasn't getting Aurea, the financial benefit to purchase B3 through US vs UK simply wasn't worth the risk in my opinion. Other mileage may vary.

 

Enjoy your trip where-ever you may decide :)

[AmoMondo]

Someone from the US could purchase from the Europe Site; however I would recommend against it. The US laws are much more consumer friendly than those in Europe. Example, price reductions are not applicable in Europe. In the US, if you book and the price drops we are often given compensation. It is my understanding that this doesn't happen with overseas bookings.

 

But for me that wouldn't be the sticking point. I'd be extra cautious Insuring a trip purchased through Europe. And if you are not insuring from a 3rd party, in the very least I would want to make sure that your health insurance will cover you. The laws just aren't the same. I'm not suggesting US laws are better, or visa versa. I'm just saying they are much different. And while it is allowed to purchase from a different region, I would be very hesitant to do so unless I did more than my due diligence in research first.

 

When I checked my recent Divina purchase against UK pricing, they were compatible in everything except the Aurea experience. FOr some reason, Aurea in the USA is triple what it is in the UK. Since I wasn't getting Aurea, the financial benefit to purchase B3 through US vs UK simply wasn't worth the risk in my opinion. Other mileage may vary.

 

Enjoy your trip where-ever you may decide :)

 

....and deposits are non refundable, so maybe you're being charged more for more consumer protection and them factoring in the right to,price reductions and deposit refunds of a certain percentage of pax - who knows with MSC?

 

I had a similar experience to Pete, I fancied getting on a t a different port to Genoa for a change. Price was over £2000, getting on at Genoa was well under £1000, so I got on at Genoa as per usual.

 

Sometimes the UK has better prices, so,etimes the US sometimes Australia. Some of it is discounting to market share building or targeting certain cruises at a certain country.

[BermudaBound2014]

Oh boy- Msc certainly is interesting! Sounds like the tail might need to meet the dog. :)

[sammybonny]

We also live in the UK.I noticed when I was booking a cruise on Splendida recently that it was £300 more to join the same cruise at a different port.

[AmoMondo]

Oh boy- Msc certainly is interesting! Sounds like the tail might need to meet the dog. :)

 

Well the Dog is in Napoli, and the tails are all over the place!

 

There are big differences sometime times even between the UK and Ireland sites

[BermudaBound2014]

Napoli seems like a nice meeting place (sAys the optimist). I hope one of those tails can fix the website.