MSC want to charge additional taxes to reprice my booking

[SailBreakaway]

If you can get past the reservations phase, and get to the ship, you're good.  I'm not sure how they corporately accept the status quo with reservations and all the issues.  It has to hurt their bottom line. Just last week I called to try and upgrade to a deluxe suite, as it was in the 5+15% voyager discount markdowns.  Went online, did a mock booking and figured it would be an additional 900$.  Well my friends, nope.  That is 1600$ sir, and I tried to explain about the 15% until I wanted to shove a knife through my eye as it would have been less painful than that interaction.  Key I think is to book once online or through a TA, don't change anything, don't try and get money back, and leave it alone until boarding day.  Crazy.

 

Just wanted too vent.  Nonetheless, I'm three cruises in with them and a three week grand voyage to go, so I guess I proved my own observation wrong, despite it all I still come back!

[capriccio]

On 9/16/2019 at 3:55 PM, graphicguy said:

My number #1 and #2 complaints with MSC....

 

-#1...taxes collected.  Had the same exact thing happen to me on my Meraviglia cruise.  Price dropped, so the taxes should have dropped as well.  They told me the same thing.....if they honored the reduced price, my taxes would be more, making the price drop worthless.

 

Taxes are not taxes paid on a percentage of your fare.  They are taxes collected by the port.  See this recent thread on the Ask a Cruise Question board:

 

 

[graphicguy]

Just now, capriccio said:

Taxes are not taxes paid on a percentage of your fare.  They are taxes collected by the port.  See this recent thread on the Ask a Cruise Question board:

 

 

That’s. not what MSC told me.  I couldn’t get s straight answer out of them.  Their answers were constantly changing.  That’s only when I could actually get someone to answer my questions.

[capriccio]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

That’s. not what MSC told me.  I couldn’t get s straight answer out of them.  Their answers were constantly changing.  That’s only when I could actually get someone to answer my questions.

 

Read that thread.  Post #3 is especially informative (and crosses cruise lines).

[graphicguy]

Again, that was not my experience with MSC.

[Skoobdo]

I've been dealing with MSC for a week now just trying to get a discount applied.  The first rep accidentally increased the price of my cruise and then took the discount off the current higher going rate.  Crazy.  Now, the price is back to the original booking price with no discount.  I guess I now see why folks request gratuities be removed.  I will definitely consider that option now, and only tip the housekeeper personally.  As I have no intentions on eating in the main dining room.  I'm not a routine drinker, but plan to order a bottle of wine and a cake pre-voyage. If I want a special drink I'll visit a port restaurant/bar and enjoy myself in a different atmosphere away from the crowds, since the only reason I'm going on this cruise is for the ports of call.

[capriccio]

53 minutes ago, Skoobdo said:

I've been dealing with MSC for a week now just trying to get a discount applied.  The first rep accidentally increased the price of my cruise and then took the discount off the current higher going rate.  Crazy.  Now, the price is back to the original booking price with no discount.  I guess I now see why folks request gratuities be removed.  I will definitely consider that option now, and only tip the housekeeper personally.

 

You are penalizing ship staff for a problem you have with headquarters?  It seems to me you are just trying to justify not paying the auto-gratuities. 

[Skoobdo]

5 minutes ago, capriccio said:

 

You are penalizing ship staff for a problem you have with headquarters?  It seems to me you are just trying to justify not paying the auto-gratuities. 

I don't need to justify anything.  

[SailBreakaway]

4 hours ago, capriccio said:

 

You are penalizing ship staff for a problem you have with headquarters?  It seems to me you are just trying to justify not paying the auto-gratuities. 

 

I don't think a lot of it is ignorance or incompetence, I really don't. Whenever a question is asked about taking advantage of something advertised, or online, or even by policy something that we as the consumer have coming to us or back to us, the answer is ALWAYS, oh no, that doesn't apply in this case.  Example, My sailing is in the 5+15% Voayager category.  My TA spoke to 3 reps who all said that doesn't apply to my cabin category, REALLY because I can go online and price it that way as we speak. Nope. I've asked about promos, and on and on and the answer is always nope.  Errors I've encountered always involve a math error to their advantage.

 

And here's the best one, they LOST my final payment money of 2000$ last month.  Yes you read this correctly.  I called my agent, she took my cc over the phone, called them, relayed it, came back on the phone and said ok all set.  I went on my merry way until I got no updated invoice next day, and when logged on it said  still owed 2000 something dollars!!! Called agent, and she came back on the phone for me and said, ok I don't want you to get excited but..... The agent filed a case with the accounting Dept at MSC.  I had to wait, 10 days until finally I got an email out of nowhere with my new invoice.  They had "found" my 2000$.  I was going to dispute with the CC company, but decided to give them a week or so to fix it, however man I spent that week pretty upset and irked,  MSC has a great onboard experience, but man the pre-cruise part is a nightmare.  Only way to not get tied up in all that, book online, don't change, don't ask for anything, hope your payments don't get lost and board. I just got an upgrade invitation to bid like NCL, HELL NO!!!! I can only imagine what that might look like, we charge your cc in the blind and you get an upgrade? Chances of that going off the tracks is really good (probably get downgraded!)

 

Anyway, just wanted to vent and share.  Just make sure your payments go through right away when you call them in.

 

 

[Hey Tina]

7 hours ago, capriccio said:

 

You are penalizing ship staff for a problem you have with headquarters?  It seems to me you are just trying to justify not paying the auto-gratuities. 

 

It's like the people that go to land based restaurants and under tip because the temperature was too cold and they had to wait too long for a table. Your server doesn't control the temperature nor the popularity of the restaurant.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Hey Tina

[DCGuy64]

On ‎9‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 7:51 PM, Robinsoncruiseso said:

Just an FYI. Travel Agents have a different number to call MSC and get different results than expressed here. Just FYI for next booking.

This is exactly why I use a TA for cruises, every single time. I just don't trust anyone else. I get that some people prefer to do it on their own, but it's just not worth it to me, for the hassle. (NB: I guess I've been extraordinarily lucky when I HAVE called MSC for information, because it's never taken more than 2 minutes to get someone)

[LMaxwell]

On 9/17/2019 at 7:14 PM, SailBreakaway said:

If you can get past the reservations phase, and get to the ship, you're good.

 

Sums it up perfectly 

[LMaxwell]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:51 AM, Hlitner said:

The tax/port charge issue exists on just about every cruise line.  If you read the fine print of passenger contracts it generally gives the cruise line the right to charge the additional cost of changes in taxes/port fees.  That being said, most (not all) cruise lines have traditionally eaten any additional tax cost for those who have already booked.  But if you reprice a booked cruise you can often end up paying the, then current taxes/port fees, and might even lose some previously granted amenities (such as On Board Credits).  

 

I should add that this does work two ways.  We have often had small refunds (while on cruises) due to a reduction in taxes/port charges.  The calculation of these items can be very complicated and even varies depending on the assigned pier in some ports.  There are times when the cruise line will not even know their actual obligated taxes/fees until after the ship has embarked on a voyage.

 

Hank

Some interesting information there.  Thanks for sharing that