Cuba.....uh, oh.

[emerald6273]

8 hours ago, Fredric22 said:

While I don't think MSC is being overly generous, I do think they are being reasonable considering the ship is only scheduled to be in Cuba for 1 day.  If the ONLY reason you went on this cruise was to see Cuba, and you didn't care about the other "boring" Caribbean ports then this may not have been the best cruise/itinerary choice available.  There were cruises scheduled on other lines that visited multiple Cuban ports.  Some 7 day cruises spent almost the entire time in Cuban ports.  Now, if I was on one of those cruises and then this happened, I would expect a refund because the cruise was truly a Cuban cruise.  In this case, it was a cruise to the Caribbean that included a stop in Cuba. 

 

Also, I do not agree that MSC is a "budget cruise line."  While they may have low fares in some categories, MSC is a mass market cruise line just like RCL, NCL, Carnival, Costa, etc.  

 

 

Havana was an overnight stop for us hence the reason why I booked this cruise.  

[emerald6273]

Have a 2020 sailing on Armonia.  MSC have given me until 13 June 2019 to determine whether I stay on Armonia accepting the $400 OBC or avail of option to change to different ship/sailing date transferring deposit.  In order for me to make an informed decision as whether I still cruise and pay for a transatlantic airfares from Ireland to Miami I need to know which of the alternative ports will be used on my revised itinerary? I'm aware that up until end of August 2019 the Ocho Rios, George Town itinerary which I'm on has Cozumel and Costa Maya as alternative ports.  Really like to know before by 13 June 2019 if Cozumel and Costa Maya are still the planned alternative ports on my 2020 cruise?  

 

Have tried contacting MSC by telephone and email and still haven't an answer.   Ordinarily I wouldn't book a cruise without knowing the full itinerary!  

Edited June 10, 2019 by harv2015

[KmomChicago]

9 minutes ago, harv2015 said:

Have a 2020 sailing on Armonia.  MSC have given me until 13 June 2019 to determine whether I stay on Armonia accepting the $400 OBC or avail of option to change to different ship/sailing date transferring deposit.  In order for me to make an informed decision as whether I still cruise and pay for a transatlantic airfares from Ireland to Miami I need to know which of the alternative ports will be used on my revised itinerary? I'm aware that up until end of August 2019 the Ocho Rios, George Town itinerary which I'm on has Cozumel and Costa Maya as alternative ports.  Really like to know before by 13 June 2019 if Cozumel and Costa Maya are still the planned alternative ports on my 2020 cruise?  

 

Have tried contacting MSC by telephone and email and still haven't an answer.   Ordinarily I wouldn't book a cruise without knowing the full itinerary!  

 

Ports can change even after they are announced, due to any sort of issue - weather, tendering issues, safety concern, maintenance problem on the ship or the port.  In this current situation, multiple lines are scrambling to set up alternate itineraries, which is based on where they can get a berth on various dates.  There is only so much space per destination.  I understand this is frustrating but it seems very likely you will have to make this decision knowing only that you'll be somewhere in the Caribbean.  If that's not worth the trip to you, then you have your answer.

[mickey89]

42 minutes ago, harv2015 said:

Have a 2020 sailing on Armonia.  MSC have given me until 13 June 2019 to determine whether I stay on Armonia accepting the $400 OBC or avail of option to change to different ship/sailing date transferring deposit.  In order for me to make an informed decision as whether I still cruise and pay for a transatlantic airfares from Ireland to Miami I need to know which of the alternative ports will be used on my revised itinerary? I'm aware that up until end of August 2019 the Ocho Rios, George Town itinerary which I'm on has Cozumel and Costa Maya as alternative ports.  Really like to know before by 13 June 2019 if Cozumel and Costa Maya are still the planned alternative ports on my 2020 cruise?  

 

Have tried contacting MSC by telephone and email and still haven't an answer.   Ordinarily I wouldn't book a cruise without knowing the full itinerary!  

That's very generous of them giving you a week to decide.  

Next time you want to book a cruise use a USA travel agent, your deposit will be refundable and you wouldn't give them the chance to shaft you again.

[emerald6273]

39 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

That's very generous of them giving you a week to decide.  

Next time you want to book a cruise use a USA travel agent, your deposit will be refundable and you wouldn't give them the chance to shaft you again.

Normally always price both my US and UK travel agents. Ended up using UK travel agent as my US travel agent 'didn't sell MSC'. Think I maybe know now why! 

[thecruisers6]

1 hour ago, harv2015 said:

Have a 2020 sailing on Armonia.  MSC have given me until 13 June 2019 to determine whether I stay on Armonia accepting the $400 OBC or avail of option to change to different ship/sailing date transferring deposit.  In order for me to make an informed decision as whether I still cruise and pay for a transatlantic airfares from Ireland to Miami I need to know which of the alternative ports will be used on my revised itinerary? I'm aware that up until end of August 2019 the Ocho Rios, George Town itinerary which I'm on has Cozumel and Costa Maya as alternative ports.  Really like to know before by 13 June 2019 if Cozumel and Costa Maya are still the planned alternative ports on my 2020 cruise?  

 

Have tried contacting MSC by telephone and email and still haven't an answer.   Ordinarily I wouldn't book a cruise without knowing the full itinerary!  

Harv have a look at Bea’s review of the ship. There’s a link on this thread previously. 

Go by the Armonia  + $400 obc or another ship, rather than the ports. 

Don’t forget it wouldn’t take much for the administration to ban Mexico travel next, although the tension seems to be calming down a bit now. 

 

[CruisingFox27]

We've just received our communication regarding the changes for our November sailing, thankfully no mention of a date that we'd need to decide by. I'd hoped for time to decide on an alternative itinerary. 

[emerald6273]

1 minute ago, CruisingFox27 said:

We've just received our communication regarding the changes for our November sailing, thankfully no mention of a date that we'd need to decide by. I'd hoped for time to decide on an alternative itinerary. 

I booked with UK travel agent who have forwarded the MSC correspondence. Correspondence from MSC ends with

'We kindly ask you to let us know how you wish to proceed by June 13^th'.

 

^{CruisingFox27 did you book through a UK travel agent?}

[CruisingFox27]

Harv, no we booked direct with MSC UK, ours outlines the options and ends with an apology and that they look forward to welcoming us onboard.

[Bollinge]

Here are the confirmed ports for Armonia 14 day cruise in September:

 

Departing from Miami on Mon, Sep 30, 2019 
Miami,Ocho Rios,George Town,Cozumel,Key West,Miami 

Departing from Miami on Mon, Oct 07, 2019 
Miami,Isla de Roatan,Costa Maya,Cozumel,George Town,Miami 
 

[emerald6273]

27 minutes ago, Bollinge said:

Here are the confirmed ports for Armonia 14 day cruise in September:

 

Departing from Miami on Mon, Sep 30, 2019 
Miami,Ocho Rios,George Town,Cozumel,Key West,Miami 

Departing from Miami on Mon, Oct 07, 2019 
Miami,Isla de Roatan,Costa Maya,Cozumel,George Town,Miami 
 

We're on the 18 May 2020 sailing.  I thought the Cozumel/Costa Maya ports were on the Ocho Rios itinerary and Cozumel/Key West on the Roatan itinerary?

[Wyoming2010]

On 6/8/2019 at 9:42 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I remember the hurricane incident differently.  Can you please provide a reference indicating where "MSC did better for their guests than anyone else?"  I believe others were offering full refund and 50% future cruise credit while MSC only offered 25%.

 

At least you got that.  NCL offered us nothing -- zero.  Not even a return of port fees for all the ports we missed.  We ended up going to their island and Port Canaveral.  A very expensive cruise for those two lousy ports.  By law, they have to return port fees, but they refused all around, even to the couples we were sailing with. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by Wyoming2010

[Wyoming2010]

14 hours ago, Sue sue sue said:

That’s why their policy sucks.....

youve paid all that money in flights, and still end up going on a cruise you don’t want to do.

At least with a refund, you might have found an alternative cruise.

This ‘take a lesser cruise or nothing’ ... is going to cost MSC a lot of future business, I think!

Yes, we were fortunate... made it by a few days.  If we hadn’t, I doubt we would have taken a 12 hours drive to Miami to go on a cruise to places we’ve been to too many times already. Would have cut our losses on that one, very grudgingly.

Cruising to Cuba would have been an easy option ( we did it last year on the RC Empress)

Flying In to Havana takes more organization, but we’re all

prepared now.... going next month... and we get to stay for a week.

 

 

 

I would love to know how you planned it!  We'd still like to visit Cuba. 

[Sue sue sue]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2019/06/05/cuban-travel-ban-its-still-possible-to-travel-to-cuba-despite-ban/1350691001/

[docboy]

So what IF and a big IF the current POTUS changes his mind and Cuba is okay again for cruise ships to travel to?

 

Will our itineraries change back to its original plan with Cuba as a port of call?

 

*wakes up from dream*

 

 

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, docboy said:

So what IF and a big IF the current POTUS changes his mind and Cuba is okay again for cruise ships to travel to?

 

Will our itineraries change back to its original plan with Cuba as a port of call?

 

*wakes up from dream*

 

 

Would be nice. A threatened tariff with Mexico seems to be on the outs, so it's not impossible for Cuba to be back on. That said, I think the cruise lines would be very nervous about rejiggering their itineraries yet again, unless the government in your hypothetical scenario grandfathered everyone with a current booking. 

[Wyoming2010]

35 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Would be nice. A threatened tariff with Mexico seems to be on the outs, so it's not impossible for Cuba to be back on. That said, I think the cruise lines would be very nervous about rejiggering their itineraries yet again, unless the government in your hypothetical scenario grandfathered everyone with a current booking. 

 

I agree -- I don't hold out hope that the cruise lines will yet again reconfigure these itineraries to go back to Cuba.  And honestly, I think it would be a nightmare for passengers to have to start over with plans and excursions and travel.  And for those who cancelled, they'd probably have to pay premium prices to get back on. 

 

Cuba wasn't a threat -- but the administration may want to start looking into blocking travel to the Dominican Republic.  Five Americans getting sick and dying in the past year and now David Ortiz being targeted -- sounds like a dangerous place to go right now.  Wonder if any cruise lines will take that port stop off their itinerary. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by Wyoming2010

[sidari]

Azamara have outdone all the rest put together, a couple sailed with a year or so ago were due to go to Cuba but like the rest the cruise was pulled. They have been told they can choose any cruise, anywhere Azamara have a sailing at no extra cost! They have chosen a 14 night cruise from Piraeus//Athens that has calls along the Black sea and includes their 500$ OBC.

[sidari]

Although it is about the Opera, not the diferent offer to those on Armonia!

 

https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/msc-cancels-next-opera-cruise-following-venice-collision-18280?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Midday+Bulletin&fbclid=IwAR0q95QPEutB4em9AzBBHmKRJI0EWklRb12yl4_hpI0iHnN73lb8NYXBHAU

[Sue sue sue]

6 hours ago, Wyoming2010 said:

 

I would love to know how you planned it!  We'd still like to visit Cuba. 

Google is our friend! 

We researched flights to Havana....

Researched a casa particular on Airbnb...

A good place for a private tour guide is www.tourepublic.com .... there are many independent tour companies in Havana if you google....

Visa is available at most airports, license category is Support for the Cuban People.

Look it up...it tells you what you can do in Cuba on that category.

Make sure you document everything you do, and keep the info, receipts etc for 5 years.

Theres also a list of things that US citizens can’t do, like stay in certain hotels, etc.

Not difficult.

Theres a ton of good information out there.🙂

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

56 minutes ago, sidari said:

Azamara have outdone all the rest put together, a couple sailed with a year or so ago were due to go to Cuba but like the rest the cruise was pulled. They have been told they can choose any cruise, anywhere Azamara have a sailing at no extra cost! They have chosen a 14 night cruise from Piraeus//Athens that has calls along the Black sea and includes their 500$ OBC.

I haven't done that cruise line before... May have to look into it for future.

[mickey89]

1 hour ago, AerynSun_JohnCrighton said:

I haven't done that cruise line before... May have to look into it for future.

Azamara is part of Royal Caribbean/Celebrity cruise company.  Fabulous small ships, same ship class as Oceania Nautica and Regatta.  More expensive than Celebrity but better experience having a more elderly clientele.

Edited June 10, 2019 by mickey89

[deniseatnycs]

16 hours ago, harv2015 said:

I booked with UK travel agent who have forwarded the MSC correspondence. Correspondence from MSC ends with

'We kindly ask you to let us know how you wish to proceed by June 13^th'.

We don't sail until January 2020.  To date we have not heard anything other than a email on the 2nd June informing us of an increase in Cuba Visa/travel cards.  Our booking both with our T/A and M.S.C (U.K.) is still showing Havana and listing excursions.

 

I have emailed both our T/A  (a large U.K. cruise agent) and MSC  several times.  Our T.A has replied today saying that M.S.C have confirmed that there is NO change in our itinerary for January 13th 2020!

I even have sent a screen shot of the MSC website news

Having explained several times, that we have none refundable flights and pre cruise hotel stays booked so need to know the alternatives offered.  They are still insisting no change.

 

 

 

16 hours ago, harv2015 said:

 

^{CruisingFox27 did you book through a UK travel agent?}

 

[sidari]

Are you booked on Armonia or Opera ?

[deniseatnycs]

7 hours ago, sidari said:

Are you booked on Armonia or Opera ?

Hi Sidari we are booked on the Armonia