Let’s see if you can guess how long I am on hold with a MSC…

[Stockjock]

I booked a cruise out of Le Havre for next year and then saw a less expensive cruise one week later out of Southampton that offered double voyagers club points. I called to cancel the original since I have the other one already booked and here’s how long I have been on hold so far.

 

No, there has not been an answer yet, but I’ve been told about 40 times that someone will answer “momentarily”.  Maybe momentarily has a different connotation in Italian than it does in English. 

 

In any event, maybe we can play a guessing game and see if anyone can guess how long it takes me to actually have someone answer the phone and then cancel the cruise. It should be a very simple request.

 

As a sidenote, you’d  have to think that they are missing considerable business opportunity with these long hold times, right?

 

Here’s where I’m at so far.

[Fogfog]

😲  

Well its pranzo somewhere... 

and already early evening in Italia. 

 

Crazy

[Stockjock]

Here is the final answer. Out of fairness, I did ask them to add a missing voyagers club shipboard credit, which they apparently did. But still, dealing with a simple issue for almost 2 hours is a bit excessive in my view.

[Até]

You need to find a decent PVC that will respond to emails.

[Homosassa]

Use a travel agent.

[lovemycruisetoo]

I email my cruise constant and she calls me when I ask her to. Done!

[thetaro]

Worst I was on hold was 40 minutes.

No I am not going to use a travel agent. I don't like middleman.

 

Most of the smaller issues can be done with email.

I only call when I need to cancel.

Edited July 7, 2019 by thetaro

[Stelladoro]

Well, I recently called the new MSC Canadian office and was on hold for approx. 25 minutes, with regular messages to wait for next available person. At the end of 25 minutes, message said "to call back another time, goodbye" and I was cut off. Decided to call their US office and luckily was on hold for only approx. 10 minutes. As soon as person found out I'm calling from Canada, she wanted to transfer me to the Canadian office and I had to insist to speak to someone there, as I didn't want another long wait on the phone going nowhere.

Luckily, it was a general question, which she was able to answer. 

This is our first MSC booking and we're surprised by the lack of customer service.      

  

[citizenfrank]

I've never been on hold ....100% genuine/true!

Some folk must be calling the wrong number ...or ...they recall numbers from negative posts on here and think "right party time"!!

Oh I wish that could be true 😂

[MrMike45]

I called on Friday to change a booking (USA number on their website) and literally as soon as I finished clicking the prompts for Voyager Club member, already booked on a cruise, etc...someone picked up.  No wait time at all.  

[Omega1]

With the look of that phone, I’d say you’ve been on hold since 1997.

Apologies, only joking.

[Stockjock]

2 hours ago, Omega1 said:

With the look of that phone, I’d say you’ve been on hold since 1997.

Apologies, only joking.

Fairly current model.  The state of the art in cordless home phones (non-Cellular) hasn't changed much since 1997, although this one has bluetooth and can answer landline calls and cellular calls.

[Omega1]

6 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Fairly current model.  The state of the art in cordless home phones (non-Cellular) hasn't changed much since 1997, although this one has bluetooth and can answer landline calls and cellular calls.

👍 Happy cruising!

[RumRunning]

We wanted to upgrade our beverage package. We were on hold for an an hour and 15 minutes, only to be told that we have to do it through our travel agent.

 

And our travel agent doesn't have time for us because of their volume. Yay!

[Stockjock]

12 minutes ago, RumRunning said:

We wanted to upgrade our beverage package. We were on hold for an an hour and 15 minutes, only to be told that we have to do it through our travel agent.

 

And our travel agent doesn't have time for us because of their volume. Yay!

I have used travel agents, but if the cost is the same, I prefer to do my own thing to avoid this sort of thing.  I do understand that there are pros and cons.  Plus, with MSC, if you do a direct booking, coffee and water are included.  Just a little thing, but it comes in handy.

[toledo_cruiser]

36 minutes ago, RumRunning said:

We wanted to upgrade our beverage package. We were on hold for an an hour and 15 minutes, only to be told that we have to do it through our travel agent.

 

And our travel agent doesn't have time for us because of their volume. Yay!

When I upgraded my drink package in early December, my TA told me I had to call MSC directly. She already had had to deal with a long wait time for a relatively minor issue on my booking. LOL 

As I recall it was a relatively short wait time, but I did have to call back a second time because the first agent couldn't process the change. The second agent was awesome. Understood my issue and took care of it immediately. 

Jim

[Host Jazzbeau]

I recently learned about the MSC Civil Servant discount and had it applied to my existing MSC cruise (one week past final payment).  How long did I stay on hold?  0 minutes!  My TA handled it for me – no pain, all gain!

[Beachin2]

No more TAs for me - missed out on price drops, had reservations poorly changed, future cruise credits misapplied, and left out to dry with a last minute Sydney cruise cancel by the cruise line, etc.  Quite honestly, I can't afford a TA any longer - they cost me too much $ in the long run.

 

Currently on hold for 51 minutes (also in San Diego - maybe it's a 619 thing?).

 

Still worth it not to have someone else's fingers messing in my pie.

[Host Jazzbeau]

37 minutes ago, Beachin2 said:

No more TAs for me - missed out on price drops, had reservations poorly changed, future cruise credits misapplied, and left out to dry with a last minute Sydney cruise cancel by the cruise line, etc.  Quite honestly, I can't afford a TA any longer - they cost me too much $ in the long run.

 

Currently on hold for 51 minutes (also in San Diego - maybe it's a 619 thing?).

 

Still worth it not to have someone else's fingers messing in my pie.

 

On your next cruise, ask around for a GOOD TA.  You obviously have had bad ones.  I have never had any of the problems you mention, just good service, prompt service, and a discount.  [Note: I don't use big box TAs, just carefully chosen ones I got by word of mouth.]

[DCGuy64]

I second the use of a TA. I always used to do my own bookings but with cruises, it's just too much work. Hotels, flights, rental cars I research on my own, but I leave the booking to my trusted TA. I can't deal with long wait times on the phone anymore. (although the two times I called MSC they were incredibly fast). 

[mef_57]

I had to make a call to customer service but called the Canadian number as my booking is on the US site, but log in and password only is recognized on the Canadian site.  It pays to be in Eastern time zone. I called at 9:08 a.m. and call was complete by 9:20 a.m.. They added my Voyageur Club # to the booking (that I couldn't do on line) and told me for this cruise to ignore the Cdn site and do everything on the US. They also reminded me that as I had engaged the services of a travel agent, that I should get them to do any 'shopping' I may want to do before my cruise date.  A wonderful experience. So, a shout out to Akbar this morning.

[NightOne]

I called to cancel a cruise 2 days ago and was on hold 49 minutes. It certainly changed my opinion about booking a future cruise with MSC.

[Stockjock]

7 hours ago, NightOne said:

I called to cancel a cruise 2 days ago and was on hold 49 minutes. It certainly changed my opinion about booking a future cruise with MSC.

 

7 hours ago, NightOne said:

I called to cancel a cruise 2 days ago and was on hold 49 minutes. It certainly changed my opinion about booking a future cruise with MSC.

My total wait time lasted almost 2 hours, so I would have settled for 49 minutes, lol.

[stoneman56]

On 7/9/2019 at 8:55 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I recently learned about the MSC Civil Servant discount and had it applied to my existing MSC cruise (one week past final payment).  How long did I stay on hold?  0 minutes!  My TA handled it for me – no pain, all gain!

Woah there!! What is this you speak of.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, stoneman56 said:

Woah there!! What is this you speak of.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Government-Employee-Discounts.aspx