When Are Excursions Available for Booking?

[tymike]

Hi all,

I am booked on the Meraviglia in October, 2020 and am hoping to book a cabana on Ocean Cay.  

When does MSC open up bookings for 'excursions' like the cabana?

 

I looked in excursion T & C and searched CC to no avail.

 

Thanks so much!

[lovemycruisetoo]

I think we might be on the same cruise because I can’t find any either.  

[tymike]

Hi lovemycruisetoo!

The only excursions that show for Ocean Cay are wave riders and a climb to the top of the lighthouse.

It seems strange that booking cabanas isn't available.  Perhaps we have to have been paid in full to book?  Just a guess....

[Shippy]

5 hours ago, tymike said:

Hi all,

I am booked on the Meraviglia in October, 2020 and am hoping to book a cabana on Ocean Cay.  

When does MSC open up bookings for 'excursions' like the cabana?

 

I looked in excursion T & C and searched CC to no avail.

 

Thanks so much!

  I would assume now.

We got an email from MSC  on Novmnber 7th so held a cabana. I assume there are not many of those. Our cruise is the last week of September. Go to their website and look under 'manage your booking'.

It will be listed under excursions.

[lovemycruisetoo]

11 hours ago, tymike said:

Hi lovemycruisetoo!

The only excursions that show for Ocean Cay are wave riders and a climb to the top of the lighthouse.

It seems strange that booking cabanas isn't available.  Perhaps we have to have been paid in full to book?  Just a guess....

Tymike, that is exactly what I see. Our cruise is 10/22/20 and we’re in the YC and haven’t received any email about excursions.  I just got off a Mera Canada cruise October and had all my excursions booked early. 
 

Shippy, we also have Mera booked for 9/6/20 and only Sydney,  Halifax and New York have excursions listed.  Nothing for Reykjavik, Belfast, Southampton which I’m waiting for. 
 

I’ll just keep checking. 

[Shippy]

2 hours ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Tymike, that is exactly what I see. Our cruise is 10/22/20 and we’re in the YC and haven’t received any email about excursions.  I just got off a Mera Canada cruise October and had all my excursions booked early. 
 

Shippy, we also have Mera booked for 9/6/20 and only Sydney,  Halifax and New York have excursions listed.  Nothing for Reykjavik, Belfast, Southampton which I’m waiting for. 
 

I’ll just keep checking. 

   Our cruise is 9/26/20 on the Seaside. We have not paid in full and will not for a couple of months.

But, we did have to pay in full for the cabana. Did not mind because they said we could cancel up to a week before sailing. The cabana does show confirmed on our booking.

 That is good for us but do NOT like the policy in general. I know there is a limited number of cabanas. People can book them & hen cancel which would take them out of inventory. Especially since you do not have to pay for your cruise yet !

    Also, there was no map of the layout of the cabanas like some other cruiselines have so you can actually pick the one you want. It is just ocean view or beach & I guess they will just assign one at random when we get there.

[Rob-Bob]

I am interested to know the cabana locations and how the location is assigned.  I see the location of the yacht club (Ocean View and beachfront) but I can't tell where the deluxe ocean cay and ocean cay cabanas are located (which beach).  For those who have been to OC and had a cabana did they just assign one to you or were you ever offered a choice of cabana?

[dexddd]

Hey tymike, you skipping out on NCL too?

[tymike]

4 hours ago, dexddd said:

Hey tymike, you skipping out on NCL too?

Hi there!   Well....only sort of!  We have two cruises booked on NCL (because I had two certificates to use in a hurry!).  We sailed on MSC for the first time last summer and really enjoyed it.  Our upcoming cruise in October is in the YC for the first time and I think we will be so hooked based on what I've read.

 

Prices on NCL have gone insane, so there's that as well.  🙂

[tymike]

8 hours ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Tymike, that is exactly what I see. Our cruise is 10/22/20 and we’re in the YC and haven’t received any email about excursions.  I just got off a Mera Canada cruise October and had all my excursions booked early. 
 

Shippy, we also have Mera booked for 9/6/20 and only Sydney,  Halifax and New York have excursions listed.  Nothing for Reykjavik, Belfast, Southampton which I’m waiting for. 
 

I’ll just keep checking. 

Yes!  We are cruising together and also in the YC!  Truly excited!

We are paid in full so I'm keeping an eye out for any emails and will be checking the website regularly.

Does anyone know how many cabanas there are  or if you can book by calling MSC?  I know that means being on hold forever  but it may be worth it?

Any specific phone number for excursions?

Thanks everyone....as always!

[tymike]

So, I now need some help figuring out some jibberish that is listed at the bottom of the excursion page of "Manage My Booking".  There are lots of numbers/letters and then a line that reads:  "???MXC--PREPAID--RESTRICTION__YCMCO???"

 

Any insight what this means??  It literally reads like that.

 

FWIW: my booking is through the casino department.  I upgraded to YC and paid totally full price for the final four days of the cruise as the casino booking only 'covered' an inside cabin for a seven day cruise.  So paid the difference between an inside for the first seven days then full price for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Could how we booked affect the timing to secure excursions?

 

Thanks again....

[lovemycruisetoo]

Tymike, we did our first MSC YC and loved it.  P+ on NCL (mostly Haven) but like dexddd said, we’re skipping out. Done with their ridiculous non-ending sales 😫, price increases and charges for almost everything while they take away all the free activities. 
 

I now have 2 MSC’s booked, one Aurea Duplex suite and our YC in Oct. and looking to book 2021 as soon as they’re open. 
 

I emailed my PCC at MSC to ask when they will open excursions and she said they are there on the website and gave me a link that didn’t work.  After 2 or 3 emails back and forth, she told me she advised her Shorex department of the issues some were having. I asked her if there is a direct phone line to them to book directly but haven’t heard back yet.  
 

I also noticed some jibberish when I tried to see what excursions were available but haven’t a clue what any of it means.  Will keep you posted if and when I hear anything.  

[tymike]

Lovemycruisetoo....how do you get a PCC at MSC?  I don't have one, most likely because I've only been on one MSC cruise to date.

I also have multiple NCL cruises behind me.  All in suites and two in Haven (one in the DOS which I booked after being laid off for almost two years and getting my job back...and I booked it before the ship was finished!  Crazy!!)  But I feel like NCL has changed so much in the nine years since my first ever cruise (NCL Dawn from Boston to Bermuda) and it's disappointing when I see how they have upcharged everything.

 

Can your PCC book the cabanas for you?

[lovemycruisetoo]

Tymike, when I first booked back in June 2018 for the first MSC ex NYC to Canada 10/8/19 I just called the 800 number. The guy I spoke to was so helpful that I asked him if I could contact him for any questions as this was my first non NCL cruise where I was used to having a great PCC.   After a few months when I emailed him about something, another consultant answered that he left the company and she would take over the booking.  I just continued with her as I have her email and have been happy with her. Only thing is they have no direct telephone number so everything is thru email first and then I arrange a time when she calls me to finalize the booking. 
 

I don’t know if they can book the cabanas, sorry. 

[tymike]

Thanks so much for the information for the MSC  PCC info.

 

 I too have an excellent PCC with NCL and have had the same one since our second NCL cruise.  I'm sorry for him that I may not book again with things being what they are with NCL.

[dexddd]

We have fourth YC coming up in March.  Done with FDR's death by a thousand cuts.  We too Plat Plus but only had one cert expiring in one year I recently offloaded for trade for a newer cert IF NCL can ever earn back our suite business.

 

You'll love it in YC, much more consistent good treatment VS NCL overworked crew.  The only real downside is size and variety of rooms VS NCL.

[NayRN]

8 hours ago, dexddd said:

We have fourth YC coming up in March.  Done with FDR's death by a thousand cuts.  We too Plat Plus but only had one cert expiring in one year I recently offloaded for trade for a newer cert IF NCL can ever earn back our suite business.

 

You'll love it in YC, much more consistent good treatment VS NCL overworked crew.  The only real downside is size and variety of rooms VS NCL.

FWIW, I am also Plat + on NCL and have jumped over to MSC! I booked my first YC1 - and it's so much less expensive sailing solo than on NCL - I just cancelled my 2020 cruise with NCL...deck 9 aft balcony on the Breakaway (my first non-Haven/suite since my second cruise with them).  I always thought I would sail exclusively with one cruise line, but my TA convinced me to spread my wings! I'll be on the Seaside out of Miami with (gasp🤯) different stops in the Caribbean!! If all goes well, I may try a new line after this one! 

[lovemycruisetoo]

On our Canadian cruise this past October, we missed a port and was given not only our port fees back, but also $300.00 refundable OBC in addition to the $50.00 we got before we even left NY because we had to leave Quebec 12 hours early. First time I got off a ship with more money than I got on with😁. That’s what will keep me with them because they know how to treat their customers.
 

What do you get from NCL when they miss a port? Or shorten your cruise by two days?You’re told that we signed a contract that says they can do whatever they want.  I have only sailed NCL since 2010 and have done 16 cruises. My 17th and last one with them is this February 2020 and only because it’s paid for. All I can say is, it’s their loss, not mine. 

[dexddd]

13 hours ago, NayRN said:

FWIW, I am also Plat + on NCL and have jumped over to MSC! I booked my first YC1 - and it's so much less expensive sailing solo than on NCL - I just cancelled my 2020 cruise with NCL...deck 9 aft balcony on the Breakaway (my first non-Haven/suite since my second cruise with them).  I always thought I would sail exclusively with one cruise line, but my TA convinced me to spread my wings! I'll be on the Seaside out of Miami with (gasp🤯) different stops in the Caribbean!! If all goes well, I may try a new line after this one! 

Hi Nay, recognize you and your years here on the boards.  Good luck on your first MSC.  We did two Seaside this year and had a great time.

[dexddd]

Yeah, then you get a few cheerleaders saying you agreed to the contract but those are fewer and fewer.  The latest is the Star where people in April getting revised routes just past final payment.  They know Star will still be having issues that far out?  If so, do the right thing VS sending letter after final payment.

 

Seeing quite a few familiar NCL regulars here now.  Thinking the silent majority is voting with wallet.

[tymike]

Although I'm a new cruiser on MSC (one cruise to date and another in the fall) I do love being optimistic that their product will outdo what I've seen happening on NCL over the last nine years since my first cruise on the Dawn.  The cutbacks in service, offerings on board included, and the crazy increases in prices with NCL has been nothing less than totally disappointing and frustrating.

We truly enjoyed our cruise on the Armonia last summer (Aurea Experience) even though we were prevented from visiting Cuba.  I think that says a lot about what MSC offers, especially because we booked that cruise in order to visit Cuba.  I'm very excited to be in the YC  next fall!

 

I plan to call MSC tomorrow to see when I might be able to book a cabana on Ocean Cay.  I'll let everyone know what I find out...

[lovemycruisetoo]

Thanks Tymike!  Hope you can find out something. 

[tymike]

Hi all...

Just off the phone with MSC (the phone prompt for YC reservations).  The rep stated that reservations can only be made six months in advance.  Does anyone have a different experience with when they could book a cabana?

He also said he had "no idea" what the jibberish on my "manage my booking" meant.

Wish I had better/different/feeling more reliable news!

[Shippy]

On 12/12/2019 at 5:15 PM, tymike said:

Hi all...

Just off the phone with MSC (the phone prompt for YC reservations).  The rep stated that reservations can only be made six months in advance.  Does anyone have a different experience with when they could book a cabana?

He also said he had "no idea" what the jibberish on my "manage my booking" meant.

Wish I had better/different/feeling more reliable news!

   We booked & paid for our beach front YC cabana a few weeks ago & our cruise is not until the end of next September.

We went on the MSC website under 'manage your cruise'

The cabanas were listed under the excursions. Our final payment for the cruise itself has not been made.

With such a limited number of cabanas available, if people wait until 6 months before their cruise, there will probably be no availability 

[tymike]

Thank you Shippy...

I was afraid of this. 

I feel like the cabanas are a fixed 'excursion' on Ocean Cay and there's no reason they shouldn't be listed under 'Manage Your Cruise" on the website.  I'm only offered the wave runners and the lighthouse climb as of today and I'm paid in full.  And that's under "Manage My Cruise".  

 

I guess I'll call again and be more firm that others have booked cabanas in advance and ask how to secure one.

 

Or...I can be very happy with an umbrella for $13 !  Whatever happens will be great!  It's a vacation....right?