Upgrade Offer- Are you kidding me MSC?

[Cullyman15]

Dear MSC, Two weeks ago when I called to upgrade to a balcony because you had a sale on for $1500, you told me the price would be $1800 for us because we already had a booking. I don't even know where you would have gotten that price from because it sure wasn't anywhere on your website? You expected us to pay an extra $800 😡Now that your cruise line is in trouble, you send us an upgrade offer for $230 pp for a balcony. You need to consider your business practices MSC, we have been loyal customers and you tried to rake us over the coals. We are cancelling our cruise next week and if we weren't getting an FCC we wouldn't be sailing with you again.

[Beardface]

All things considered, given where things have gone globally over the past 24 hours, it seems pretty misguided to be this upset over an auto-generated email that uses a built-in algorithm to set upgrade offers.  First of all, the fact it's so cheap now is that the class you want to upgrade to is probably empty based on cancellations.  Secondly, with the US restrictions on European travel combined with the lockdown in Italy, it's highly unlikely that MSC continues sailings after this week, and will likely park it's fleet.  We were operating in a whole different world 14 days ago, and literally everything has changed.

 

So yeah, to be so upset that you're lashing out at the line at this time seems highly misguided right now

 

[Fogfog]

19 minutes ago, Beardface said:

All things considered, given where things have gone globally over the past 24 hours, it seems pretty misguided to be this upset over an auto-generated email that uses a built-in algorithm to set upgrade offers.  First of all, the fact it's so cheap now is that the class you want to upgrade to is probably empty based on cancellations.  Secondly, with the US restrictions on European travel combined with the lockdown in Italy, it's highly unlikely that MSC continues sailings after this week, and will likely park it's fleet.  We were operating in a whole different world 14 days ago, and literally everything has changed.

 

So yeah, to be so upset that you're lashing out at the line at this time seems highly misguided right now

 

I hope MSC survives this unusual circumstance. 

Imagine all cruise lines will face hurdles, yet being a family line I have a soft spot for them. We enjoy YC very much and the style of cruising/hospitality

We have 2 other sailings this yr and had planned on cancelling them and finding something on MSC instead...We will be keeping our eyes open for that opportunity

Cheers

 

[Jembeccatoo]

1 hour ago, Cullyman15 said:

Dear MSC, Two weeks ago when I called to upgrade to a balcony because you had a sale on for $1500, you told me the price would be $1800 for us because we already had a booking.

MSC’s policy is to upgrade at the price in effect when you originally booked. As previously stated, upgrade offers are generated and emailed without knowledge to each passengers circumstances prior. To cancel your cruise or not try to bid on an upgrade because you are upset with their policy will not change anything in the future. 
if you still want the upgrade, bid. If you want to cancel and go at a later date to that. Either way we will be cruising on MSC at some point.If you want to cancel and go at a later date to that. Either way we will be cruising on MSC at some point.

[Cullyman15]

3 minutes ago, Jembeccatoo said:

MSC’s policy is to upgrade at the price in effect when you originally booked. As previously stated, upgrade offers are generated and emailed without knowledge to each passengers circumstances prior. To cancel your cruise or not try to bid on an upgrade because you are upset with their policy will not change anything in the future. 
if you still want the upgrade, bid. If you want to cancel and go at a later date to that. Either way we will be cruising on MSC at some point.If you want to cancel and go at a later date to that. Either way we will be cruising on MSC at some point.

You are missing the point, it's pure greed. They could have taken $500 and upgraded us but instead tried to bilk us $800. As I mentioned we are loyal customers who have sailed many times.  After refusing to give us the cabin for the new price advertised they have the gall to come back with this offer. I don't care about "auto generated", when you call and talk to them your booking on file is updated. We have will have a credit and we will be sailing at some point, in all likelyhood the last time with MSC

[ebonybee]

1 hour ago, Cullyman15 said:

You are missing the point, it's pure greed. They could have taken $500 and upgraded us but instead tried to bilk us $800. As I mentioned we are loyal customers who have sailed many times.  After refusing to give us the cabin for the new price advertised they have the gall to come back with this offer. I don't care about "auto generated", when you call and talk to them your booking on file is updated. We have will have a credit and we will be sailing at some point, in all likelyhood the last time with MSC

They initially did the same with us but we were able to reach a “supervisor “ by going through the Voyager’s Club number.  We upgraded to Aurea experience at the website price which was only 220.00 total more than what we paid for Our initial Bella booking.

[jeepfan2006]

3 hours ago, Cullyman15 said:

Now that your cruise line is in trouble, you send us an upgrade offer for $230 pp for a balcony. 

Was it an upgrade offer for $230pp, or was it a chance to bid for an upgrade starting at $230pp? These are two very different things.

Edited March 12, 2020 by jeepfan2006

[Cullyman15]

3 minutes ago, jeepfan2006 said:

Was it an upgrade offer for $230pp, or was it a chance to bid for an upgrade starting at $230pp? These are two very different things.

Just got an upgrade offer today not an  chance to uprade with a bid. it was an offer for $230pp which would have gladly paid in the first place.

Edited March 12, 2020 by Cullyman15
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[Cullyman15]

3 hours ago, Beardface said:

All things considered, given where things have gone globally over the past 24 hours, it seems pretty misguided to be this upset over an auto-generated email that uses a built-in algorithm to set upgrade offers.  First of all, the fact it's so cheap now is that the class you want to upgrade to is probably empty based on cancellations.  Secondly, with the US restrictions on European travel combined with the lockdown in Italy, it's highly unlikely that MSC continues sailings after this week, and will likely park it's fleet.  We were operating in a whole different world 14 days ago, and literally everything has changed.

 

So yeah, to be so upset that you're lashing out at the line at this time seems highly misguided right now

 

What has happened in the last 2 weeks is irrelevant to my post. I called to upgrade well before all of this hysteria and news. At that time online they only showed 4 Balcony cabins available. It's simple, they made a choice to hold on to those cabins hoping for a higher profit margin rather than upgrading their loyal customers at a smaller profit while freeing up another cabin. I am sympathetic to the situation they are in but, I don't consider my thoughts and actions "misguided" at all. Remember I was talking with an actual MSC agent, I explained the situation clearly, there were no auto generated algorithms involved.  We were more than willing to fork over more money but MSC chose $ over loyalty (which is give and take) and it is my right to share my opinion in this forum.

[Jembeccatoo]

1 hour ago, Cullyman15 said:

Just got an upgrade offer today not an  chance to uprade with a bid. it was an offer for $230pp which would have gladly paid in the first place.

I misunderstood your original post. Sorry 

[skiierx131]

1 hour ago, Cullyman15 said:

It's simple, they made a choice to hold on to those cabins hoping for a higher profit margin rather than upgrading their loyal customers at a smaller profit while freeing up another cabin.

Doesn't every cruise line do this? Yes cruise lines try to maintain loyalty, but they exist to make a profit, not be your friend.

[8420PR]

It was an offer to bid for an upgrade.  $230pp was the opening offer, and not guaranteed.  

 

Cruise prices and conditions change all the time (though if you want to upgrade a current booking the price will be the one that applied when you made the booking), and given you are cancelling I'm confused about the anger.

[cruiser man 60]

The OP needs to get a grip on reality, has he read what's happening in the real world with Trump making all sorts of stupid announcements.

who cares if you cancel or not!!!

[Cullyman15]

14 hours ago, cruiser man 60 said:

The OP needs to get a grip on reality, has he read what's happening in the real world with Trump making all sorts of stupid announcements.

who cares if you cancel or not!!!

You need to read the post again. My issue was well before all this hysteria. I totally understand the significance of this COVID 19 situation. People are lashing out at me because I appear uncaring or unsympathetic. Not the case at all people just read what they want to from these posts. The issue is greed from MSC and not reciprocating loyalty plain and simple. By the way, my post had nothing to do with cancelling??? But glad you could vent about Trump.

[Cullyman15]

15 hours ago, 8420PR said:

It was an offer to bid for an upgrade.  $230pp was the opening offer, and not guaranteed.  

 

Cruise prices and conditions change all the time (though if you want to upgrade a current booking the price will be the one that applied when you made the booking), and given you are cancelling I'm confused about the anger.

The fact that we have chosen to cancel has nothing to do with what transpired almost 3 weeks ago. We were given a price of $1800 instead of $1500, where did they even get that price? it's not on the website anywhere. My beef is with the fact they chose greed over loyalty. We have been cruising for a long time and have upgraded with other lines and never experienced this. 

[Até]

The $1800 price is what the cabin would have cost you on the date you originally booked.  That has been MSC's standard practice for trying to make changes after final payment and is not that unusual, some people have managed exceptions.  The best I've had offered by other lines is 25% of the difference in OBC, and some will let you upgrade to a higher cabin as long as it costs more.  Unfortunately MSC currently doesn't do this and it has happened to me too a few times now.  At least in your case, probably because of the current low bookings, the minimum bid offers are low enough you could have saved some money.  In my cases the minimum bid combined with what I already paid was still more than the current asking price for the upgraded cabin.  We both entered a contract with MSC's policy when we booked a cabin at what we felt was an acceptable price, things change with cruises and prices go up and down.  We aren't entitled to a lower price just like they aren't entitled to ask for more when cabin prices go up.

 

I suggest you a least calmly write to MSC and explain why you feel they should alter this after final payment pricing policy to be more in line with other cruise lines.  I've always felt if MSC gets enough feedback on a topic they are usually willing to look at changes to policy.

[AviationInScale]

On 3/12/2020 at 7:05 AM, Cullyman15 said:

Dear MSC, Two weeks ago when I called to upgrade to a balcony because you had a sale on for $1500, you told me the price would be $1800 for us because we already had a booking. I don't even know where you would have gotten that price from because it sure wasn't anywhere on your website? You expected us to pay an extra $800 😡Now that your cruise line is in trouble, you send us an upgrade offer for $230 pp for a balcony. You need to consider your business practices MSC, we have been loyal customers and you tried to rake us over the coals. We are cancelling our cruise next week and if we weren't getting an FCC we wouldn't be sailing with you again.

 

 

That'll show them....🙄