Bizarre cabin choice problem - normal?

[rdt123]

Hi all

 

looking at the Seaside next August. If I look at a 14 night on Aug 1st I am limited to balcony cabins and a J3 suite.

 

if I split the trip into the two seven night cruises I get the choice of superfamily, grand suite, 2 bed grand suite yacht club etc

 

my agent rang MSC for me and they simply said yes that’s right!

 

The only solution I can see is booking two seven night cruises back to back in the same cabin then arguing the toss about getting off halfway though! Seems really bizarre - any ideas why this is or whether it may change - we really wanted a grand suite but that doesn’t show on the 14 night - just on the 2 seven night itinerary’s 

 

rob

[8420PR]

Just book the same room for 2 weeks.  The only downside is it requires a trip to guest relations during the first week, but everything else would be the same as booking a 14 day cruise, as all passengers must disembark in Miami due to customs regulations (so even those passengers booked on a 2 week cruise will get off and get on again).  During the first week go to the guest relations desk, explain you are staying for a second week and the will sort things out.

 

In MSC's systems the 7 day and 14 day cruises are unique itineraries, so rooms on the 14 day cruise would not be offered on the 2 7 day cruises (that make up the 14 day).  

[mickey89]

Rob.... I assume that you are wanting the SE3 suite for minimum of 3, maximum of 5 people otherwise you will be unlikely get the cabin even for  7nights - MSC will relocate you even if you are able to book.

If your party is 3/5 people I would email  MSC ( bookingmanagement@msccruises.co.uk ) and explain your situation, they may release the cabin to your 14 nt. choice.  Otherwise you will need to book 2 x 7nt cruises with the same cabin (Plenty available), cost will be the same just double deposit.  

Make sure you book with a good Travel Agent that gives minimum 10% reduction on MSC prices before you take off your further 5% Voyager discount.  ( I assume you are a Voyager Member otherwise make sure you get a Loyalty match before you book )

[jcathers1]

Some folks have reported that booking the 2 7-day cruises can actually be cheaper than booking 1 14-cruise.

 

Just something to consider...

[rdt123]

Hi all

 

thanks for the help. I’m going through the match process now as I’ve done 6 with ncl but never with MSC

 

its for four of us. The reason we wand the grand suite is that my wife is keen on the idea of having a separate sleeping area for the kids ( 7 and 2). Just issues of disturbing them when in and out of the balcony of an evening. There can also be snoring considerations when I’ve had a beer that relegate me to another room !

 

i spoke to MSC today and confirmed that the same cabin is available for both 7 days but not for 14 nights (which I find utterly bonkers, imagine a hotel saying a room is available for two one night stays but you can’t just book two nights?!)

 

mickey - yes they said the 400 pound or so deposit would be payable on both 

 

all very odd but seems the only way forward at the minute 

 

 

thanks

 

rob

 

[Epos Man]

regardless as to if both rooms were available for the 14 nights you would still have to of disembarked gone through border control and back again

[mickey89]

16 hours ago, Epos Man said:

regardless as to if both rooms were available for the 14 nights you would still have to of disembarked gone through border control and back again

 

You will have the 2 options on arrival back at Miami at the mid point of your 14 day cruise : -

 

1. Choose to treat it as a port of call ( leave before 9.30am and don't return until after 11.30am ). You just pass thro Immigration with all the disembarking passengers who are ending their cruise.

or -

2. If you don't leave before 9.30am you will be caught up in the turnaround ritual where along with all the other remaining B2B passengers you will go thro US Immigration and returned back to the ship.  Then you will have to wait until the ship is totally cleared if you want to take a short trip ashore which will normally be after mid day.

 

 

[mickey89]

19 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

Some folks have reported that booking the 2 7-day cruises can actually be cheaper than booking 1 14-cruise.

 

 

In the UK the 7nt cruises are exactly 50% of the 14 nt cruise ( Seaside - August 2020), so a B2B 14 nt cruise will be the exactly the same price as the 14 nt cruise. The disadvantage of the B2B is it's double the deposit which is non refundable in the UK.

In the US the same Seaside August 2020  7nt cruises are 68% the cost of the 14 nt cruise  - totally bizarre.... !

[Tagsalong]

We are doing 28 days (nights) on Seaside in January, booked as two 14 days, and are wondering if we must go to Muster all four times or just once.  On Princess we are not required to go to Muster at each return to PE Florida when doing several B2Bs, just the first Embarkation one. 

[panamapd]

Hi Mickey89 - are you able to book through a US travel agency? Lots of UK folks are doing that now.  Typically the cost is less than the UK, smaller (refundable deposits, roughly $198 for 3 people rather than £100 per person) and usually some on-board credit as well.  We are not able to say who these agents are but they are on the net.  I have used them before, and European agents, with no problems whatsoever.

 

Worth exploring the net?!

[mickey89]

On 5/13/2019 at 5:56 PM, panamapd said:

Hi Mickey89 - are you able to book through a US travel agency? 

 

Yes you can book via a US travel agent but the benefits have been significantly reduced since 2016.

( You are not able to book any Carnival Corp. cruises that includes P&O, Cunard, HAL, Princess or Costa via the US )  

Prior to 2016 it was always more beneficial to book via the US but seldom these days as many cruises are more expensive in the US.  The main advantage is that deposits are refundable up to final payment and any price drops will be honoured.  

Equally you can book via the EU, there is a good German website but again they are seldom cheaper than the UK and their deposit are non refundable, so little benefit.

 

I check US, UK and EU sites prior to any booking I make but mostly chose the UK unless the cruises are 18 months or longer before departure then I default to my US agent.  

[JAGR]

On 5/11/2019 at 6:34 AM, mickey89 said:

 

In the UK the 7nt cruises are exactly 50% of the 14 nt cruise ( Seaside - August 2020), so a B2B 14 nt cruise will be the exactly the same price as the 14 nt cruise. The disadvantage of the B2B is it's double the deposit which is non refundable in the UK.

In the US the same Seaside August 2020  7nt cruises are 68% the cost of the 14 nt cruise  - totally bizarre.... !

If two 7-day cruises are the same as one 14-day, you have a Voyager Club point advantage!  A cruise of 10 or more days in Aurea Class, for example, earns you 1500 points while two 7 day cruises earn you 2000 points (1000 per cruise).

[JAGR]

On 5/11/2019 at 3:19 PM, Tagsalong said:

We are doing 28 days (nights) on Seaside in January, booked as two 14 days, and are wondering if we must go to Muster all four times or just once.  On Princess we are not required to go to Muster at each return to PE Florida when doing several B2Bs, just the first Embarkation one. 

As long as you are not changing cabins, you will not have to go through muster for at least the second week of each cruise.  They may have you go through muster for week three, since it is a "different" cruise in the system.  Some people who have changed cabins between weeks one and two have reported that they have had to go through muster twice.

[Até]

1 hour ago, JAGR said:

Some people who have changed cabins between weeks one and two have reported that they have had to go through muster twice.

So far on two back to back cruises where we changed cabins we had to go to the second muster also.  Once was two cabins within the YC so same muster station, the other was two far apart cabins that had different muster stations.  I have also heard reports that if you booked as one 14 day cruise in the same cabin you don't have to go the second time, but have not done that yet.  I would also suspect they are going to be asked to go on week three.

[Beamafar]

4 hours ago, JAGR said:

If two 7-day cruises are the same as one 14-day, you have a Voyager Club point advantage!  A cruise of 10 or more days in Aurea Class, for example, earns you 1500 points while two 7 day cruises earn you 2000 points (1000 per cruise).

 

You also get 2 lots of VC benefits when doing a B2B - including 2 comped meals for 2 and 2 bottles of bubbly & choc-covered strawberries if you're a Black Card member.

[Beamafar]

5 hours ago, mickey89 said:

 

 

Equally you can book via the EU, there is a good German website but again they are seldom cheaper than the UK and their deposit are non refundable, so little benefit.

 

 

Their deposit of 20% of the cruise cost is also off-putting.

[CruisingFox27]

We booked one of our 14 night cruise as 2 x 7 night cruises (from the UK) as it was significantly less expensive. 

The same cabin was available for both options fortunately.