MSC Seaside and missed ports

[cmitch9999]

An FYI for cruisers on Seaside 1/27 sailing and any other future MSC cruises where a port has been missed.

 

On the 1/27 voyage of MSC seaside our call to Grand Cayman was canceled because of dangerous tendering conditions.

 

This can happen to any port on any cruise line, I have missed 5 ports in my cruising history with several cruise lines. They were Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess.

 

What is the exception of all my missed cruises is that on every other cruise where I had missed a port the cruise line automatically refunded the port charges for that port to my onboard bill. On MSC they never refunded any port charges and I was told at guest services that they handle these things post cruise by their icare dept. I was not given any information or a phone number besides this.

 

Now these port charges can be just a small amount, $5-10 depending on the price paid by the cruise line, I am NOT concerned about the €$$ as much as the way it is handled on Seaside. I just find it wrong that at no time were passengers informed that they will be refunded these fees and what the process would be to have it happen. I don't understand why the other cruise lines who have had missed ports can refund onboard and MSC cannot. In my mind it's deliberate and of 5,000 passengers how many know and will go thru the process to request a refund.

 

That adds up to a nice tidy sum for MSC!!

 

Just the MSC way

[fraffin]

An FYI for cruisers on Seaside 1/27 sailing and any other future MSC cruises where a port has been missed.

 

On the 1/27 voyage of MSC seaside our call to Grand Cayman was canceled because of dangerous tendering conditions.

 

This can happen to any port on any cruise line, I have missed 5 ports in my cruising history with several cruise lines. They were Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess.

 

What is the exception of all my missed cruises is that on every other cruise where I had missed a port the cruise line automatically refunded the port charges for that port to my onboard bill. On MSC they never refunded any port charges and I was told at guest services that they handle these things post cruise by their icare dept. I was not given any information or a phone number besides this.

 

Now these port charges can be just a small amount, $5-10 depending on the price paid by the cruise line, I am NOT concerned about the €$$ as much as the way it is handled on Seaside. I just find it wrong that at no time were passengers informed that they will be refunded these fees and what the process would be to have it happen. I don't understand why the other cruise lines who have had missed ports can refund onboard and MSC cannot. In my mind it's deliberate and of 5,000 passengers how many know and will go thru the process to request a refund.

 

That adds up to a nice tidy sum for MSC!!

 

Just the MSC way

 

My guess, the same reason MSC websites stink...crappy IT. They seem to have a problem developing good software. I don't know any of this for a fact, but as an IT professional it has the markings.

[lcpagejr]

My guess, the same reason MSC websites stink...crappy IT. They seem to have a problem developing good software. I don't know any of this for a fact, but as an IT professional it has the markings.

 

That's being kind...LOL But sorta makes sense. You would think they would build in a formula where they could enter the appropriate port fee and it systematically just credits each passengers account. I guess this is too logical...LOL

[fraffin]

That's being kind...LOL But sorta makes sense. You would think they would build in a formula where they could enter the appropriate port fee and it systematically just credits each passengers account. I guess this is too logical...LOL

 

It may also be a problem with MSC and American credit card companies. We were originally booked as a group of 12 in 5 cabins - a family cruise. Turns out the kids and grandkids couldn't make it, so we cancelled 3 of the cabins. I expected my cruise deposits to be refunded to my Visa card. Instead I received a check 4-6 weeks later.

 

I really can't verify this because I recently booked the 2 Cruise Thermal Passes in advance only to cancel it and replace it with a better package (thanks to a CC member that pointed out for $9 more you can get the Relaxation package which includes the Cruise Pass and a 30 minute massage and few other add-ons) . I receive a credit back on my Visa for 1 of the Thermal Passes. I'm waiting to see what happens with the second credit. For some reason I'm expecting a check in the mail. I guess I should call to find out why only one credit back to the card.

 

Regardless, I still attribute this to bad systems. Either the systems can't handle certain transactions, or it's so poorly designed that the endusers have no idea how to use it.

[cruiseguyinorl]

It may also be a problem with MSC and American credit card companies. We were originally booked as a group of 12 in 5 cabins - a family cruise. Turns out the kids and grandkids couldn't make it, so we cancelled 3 of the cabins. I expected my cruise deposits to be refunded to my Visa card. Instead I received a check 4-6 weeks later.

 

My guess is you made the deposits 6 months or more from the time you cancelled. With their new card system, MSC can't refund credit cards if the charge has been longer than six months without going through mega paperwork and effort. Easier for them to cut a check.

 

 

Bret

[cruiseguyinorl]

I don't understand why the other cruise lines who have had missed ports can refund onboard and MSC cannot. Just the MSC way

 

Doesn't actually surprise me. In my nine years of sailing with and dealing with MSC, they never have been able to refund onboard anything that was not charged onboard. I agree totally weird but something to do with different banking systems or some absurdity like that. "Just the MSC way" pretty much sums it up.

 

Bret

[TravelinGert]

It may also be a problem with MSC and American credit card companies. We were originally booked as a group of 12 in 5 cabins - a family cruise. Turns out the kids and grandkids couldn't make it, so we cancelled 3 of the cabins. I expected my cruise deposits to be refunded to my Visa card. Instead I received a check 4-6 weeks later.

 

I really can't verify this because I recently booked the 2 Cruise Thermal Passes in advance only to cancel it and replace it with a better package (thanks to a CC member that pointed out for $9 more you can get the Relaxation package which includes the Cruise Pass and a 30 minute massage and few other add-ons) . I receive a credit back on my Visa for 1 of the Thermal Passes. I'm waiting to see what happens with the second credit. For some reason I'm expecting a check in the mail. I guess I should call to find out why only one credit back to the card.

 

Regardless, I still attribute this to bad systems. Either the systems can't handle certain transactions, or it's so poorly designed that the endusers have no idea how to use it.

 

Family members threw us an anniversary party for last year's big anniversary and decided to ask people to chip in for our already booked cruise by way of gifts. Very nice of them. Due to issues getting our status match we got it after we'd paid in full, so there was a nice 5% sitting out there. I asked could it be placed on my on board account. Waited on hold over 45 minutes to hear it would be placed back on my credit card. Problem was I didn't pay with a credit card. Unless they mean the one I paid the deposit with. They don't know and tell me either it will be refunded or a check sent because they don't know how to place odd amounts on my on board account. Alrighty.

[sidari]

Last September on Preziosa we had the unfortunate case of being stuck in the port of Brugge for two days due to bad weather which meant we missed going to Amsterdam, MSC gave every cabin 50 euros obc which came in handy because it paid the doctors bill for removing stitches from my other halves arm and two visits to the 4D cinema with the two grand kids who were with us.

So they can do something if the will is there to do it, they also laid on free buses into the City of Brugge despite the fact that it poured with rain all day.

[MisterBill99]

So I was also on this cruise and hadn't called MSC yet but just heard from our tablemates from the cruise. She called MSC and was told that they would not refund the port charge! Apparently Carnival passengers got $17 per person back for the same missed port. Yet another reason to hate MSC. Must be a nice scam for MSC to just keep that money.

 

BTW, someone who wrote a review of this cruise on FB claimed that he got the port charges refunded automatically the day after the missed port. I'd go back and tell him that he's wrong, but he blocked me after I posted some negative comments in response to his claim that the buffet was excellent.

[voyager89]

Wow, I wish I knew this.

 

I did think of going to the front desk and ask how were they going to compensate us (I know it was not their fault, but I´m still not getting what I paid for) to see if they have some customer service principles but I figured it would just be a waste of time.

[MisterBill99]

So I asked my TA if she could look into this for me, and she told me this: "MSC does not refund port charges, The Carnival family recently just started doing that, but MSC does not, and they do not budge on that either."

 

Port charges are not part of the base fare, they are added on based on actual costs. To not refund them when you miss a port and the cruise line doesn't have to pay them is a rip-off.

[cmitch9999]

My first missed port was back in 2001 on Royal Caribbean to Coco Cay $$ refunded so not recent, Carnival used to reimburse a standard $20 missed port fee but changed to the actual amount sometime along the way. I wish I had known onboard they wouldn't be refunding instead of being told that it would be handled post cruise and that a note had been put in my record that did not happen. The worst customer service I have experienced in 55 cruises.

If at least one person agrees this is just a greedy cruiseline that does not treat their customers right and decides to make a better choice for their precious vacation I will applaud them, Unfortunately the timeframe for being able to cancel the cruise without penalty was before it started sailing in Dec. I expected some new cruiseline and new ship issues but what I experienced was just an overall disappointing cruise on so many levels, If it had been my first cruise instead of 50+ maybe I wouldn't have known better. Luckily there are the other cruiselines that do care and treat their passengers like the valuable business partners they are.

[pukekolive]

Wouldn't MAC have had to pay a second port charge for Zeebrugge?

 

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[gotcha3]

I didn't think you could get away with charging a tax in this country on something that wasn't used (delivered/experienced/etc). I should think that if you operate out of Miami you are subject to our consumer protections. Just sayin'....

[MisterBill99]

I didn't think you could get away with charging a tax in this country on something that wasn't used (delivered/experienced/etc). I should think that if you operate out of Miami you are subject to our consumer protections. Just sayin'....

Well, it's a fee not a tax. I'm guessing it's somewhere in their cruise ticket agreement but I can't find it.

 

Just for fun I sent an inquiry to a cruise law firm to see what they have to say. Of course, this probably isn't their focus (they seem to look for accident cases with big paydays), so who knows if they will respond.

 

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[Cruise'nMaMa]

question - are port charges based on the length of time in port at all? We did get to Cozumel 3 hours earlier than planned so I wonder if that port charge went up in relation to the Grand Cayman going down.

 

 

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[Beamafar]

On our recent Christmas cruise, we had one port cancelled and another one changed. We received €100 OBC per cabin and 10% discount off our next booking.

 

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[MisterBill99]

question - are port charges based on the length of time in port at all? We did get to Cozumel 3 hours earlier than planned so I wonder if that port charge went up in relation to the Grand Cayman going down.

 

 

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Possibly a bit but I've never heard of passengers being charged extra for added time. My TA said their policy is no refunds on port charges for missed ports. It's not specific to this cruise.

 

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[MisterBill99]

On our recent Christmas cruise, we had one port cancelled and another one changed. We received €100 OBC per cabin and 10% discount off our next booking.

 

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Was that prior to the sailing or during? And was it MSC's fault or due to weather?

 

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