March Refunds Only - is there a "big black hole"

[sfaaa]

19 minutes ago, mamaneedsavacay said:

 

 I'm really trying to give MSC the benefit of the doubt that this is all accounting/software issues. 

 

It's a cash flow issue. The same problem facing all the cruise lines and everyone knows it. It's rather strange though. I had four MSC cruises cancelled. Received three refunds but the fourth one is dragging on and still outstanding. Luckily it is only $98.

[Oceans 818]

So, it's 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep and for some reason decided to check MSC USA site. This is what I came across after clicking the: ITINERARY UPDATES & CHANGES: More Detail . Then I clicked my canceled ship the Seaside. Every so often I check to see if they've added or taken something from the offers and this is how it currently reads:

MSC SEASIDE CRUISE UPDATES

To review which MSC Seaside cruises have been canceled, see below:

MARCH 14 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 CANCELED CRUISES:

Guests who have paid in full automatically receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (sent to guest or travel advisor email on file). To download your Future Cruise Credit, click here. For questions regarding your canceled cruise, please call us at 1-866-420-3584.

SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 31, 2020 CANCELED CRUISES: 

Guests who have paid in full will automatically receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (sent to guest or travel advisor email on file). Your Future Cruise Credit will be emailed to you by September 30^th.  To download your Future Cruise Credit, click here. If you prefer to request a refund, please call us at 1-866-420-3584 no later than December 15^th to request your refund.

 

The option to download the FCC and the telephone # is something I haven't see previously.

I hope it will help those of you looking for your FCC's and might help with the refunds!

Good Luck.

 

[Hsmorris]

I looked at this today and called the # listed as it’s vague if you need to call again if you prefer a refund.  It was the same story:  We see you have requested a refund, it’s processing, let me escalate to upper management.  I hope it works for those of you that just want an FCC.  I have no interest in giving MSC any more of my business after waiting since March for my refund.

[mamaneedsavacay]

12 hours ago, juraspark said:

So, it's 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep and for some reason decided to check MSC USA site. This is what I came across after clicking the: ITINERARY UPDATES & CHANGES: More Detail . Then I clicked my canceled ship the Seaside. Every so often I check to see if they've added or taken something from the offers and this is how it currently reads:

MSC SEASIDE CRUISE UPDATES

To review which MSC Seaside cruises have been canceled, see below:

MARCH 14 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 CANCELED CRUISES:

Guests who have paid in full automatically receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (sent to guest or travel advisor email on file). To download your Future Cruise Credit, click here. For questions regarding your canceled cruise, please call us at 1-866-420-3584.

SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 31, 2020 CANCELED CRUISES: 

Guests who have paid in full will automatically receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit (sent to guest or travel advisor email on file). Your Future Cruise Credit will be emailed to you by September 30^th.  To download your Future Cruise Credit, click here. If you prefer to request a refund, please call us at 1-866-420-3584 no later than December 15^th to request your refund.

 

The option to download the FCC and the telephone # is something I haven't see previously.

I hope it will help those of you looking for your FCC's and might help with the refunds!

Good Luck.

 

Wow, that is new. 

 

Would someone with an outstanding FCC please try this download link?! I clicked on the link, but stopped short of filling it out, because my request is supposedly with the "senior escalation team" and we are trying to get it applied right now to a cruise that is already past its final payment date. I don't want to screw anything up that my TA thinks is in process. (Although, all of my recent reading about the things they are telling people just makes me so uneasy that we are all being spun in the same way.)

[mmt44]

I filled out the form and it requires a mobile phone number.  They do not have my mobile phone number.  I called the number listed and was told that since my booking was through an agent I have to make any enquires through the agent.  My previous enquires through the agent are that they can see the amount of FCC but cannot do anything other that attempt to apply it to a booking through them.  Deposit cannot use FCC.  Agent says if FCC is not used by end of 2021 charged amount will be refunded to original credit card.

[mamaneedsavacay]

5 minutes ago, mmt44 said:

I filled out the form and it requires a mobile phone number.  They do not have my mobile phone number.  I called the number listed and was told that since my booking was through an agent I have to make any enquires through the agent.  My previous enquires through the agent are that they can see the amount of FCC but cannot do anything other that attempt to apply it to a booking through them.  Deposit cannot use FCC.  Agent says if FCC is not used by end of 2021 charged amount will be refunded to original credit card.

Thanks for the answer! I have an agent as well, so it would be the same answer. 

I am surprised to hear that you couldn't use the FCC on a deposit. That's the opposite for me- in order to apply my FCC to the booking I had made in July, they had to cancel that booking and rebook under the old cruise number. So now they are supposed to refund the deposit I made to hold the cabin. Your FCC should cover the deposit, if not the whole cruise. 

[mmt44]

I expect a different answer tomorrow!

[Oceans 818]

16 hours ago, mmt44 said:

I filled out the form and it requires a mobile phone number.  They do not have my mobile phone number.  I called the number listed and was told that since my booking was through an agent I have to make any enquires through the agent.  My previous enquires through the agent are that they can see the amount of FCC but cannot do anything other that attempt to apply it to a booking through them.  Deposit cannot use FCC.  Agent says if FCC is not used by end of 2021 charged amount will be refunded to original credit card.

So, your previous enquires to the agent advise it's there in limbo.

Have you contacted your TA and asked them to call the: TRAVEL AGENTS PLEASE CALL: 1-866-337-4309 that's listed at the bottom of the FCC download page right after the client #?

As to the FCC for a deposit, I'd contact MSC directly and inquire if this is their policy or that of the TA. A friend of ours went through a TA and they were given the option of using it to pay in full for a cruise with that value or use it as a down payment for a more expensive cruise that the balance would be due at the normal final payment time. I think perhaps your TA is looking to make a little more $ from you and if this is the case you might want to let them know you are aware of MSC's policy as you'd inquired it directly of them.

I did not use this download as I am dealing directly with MSC. My FCC is in 'limbo' but is attached to our up coming cruise with an excess FCC or $8. I specifically asked what would be the issue if this is not cleared up and was told that they have made notes on our file as to the issue and that we may have to call to have our boarding passes printed. Our upcoming cruise is 12/19/20 (hopefully!) Our final payment date was 9/20/20. Our booking shows active and shows the amount as owing. I was told that the booking would have been canceled if there was no final payment, and that the booking is active shows that they know it's paid but the $ has to be corrected and applied from the technical end of their accounting.

There is an issue somewhere in their system and they are trying to correct it. I'm thinking that they don't know which FCC's are affected.

If your FCC has been in limbo, since March, get your TA to do their job and call MSC on your behalf as you have tried and now they should call. There is always the possibility that your TA has no idea of this new # to call. We once had a trip canceled and after calling our TA for 3 days in a row and being told "Oh no, everything is fine" and then after insisting they check it out prior to us leaving for the airport the next day, they were surprised to find out the trip was indeed cancelled. They went from being annoyed at being bothered to sorry about your trip. I found out from emails from the company that owned the hotel we were staying at. They were hard to understand as they were translated to english and not very well. That was the last time we booked with a TA. I've yet to meet a TA who cares more about my vacation than I do.

Good Luck.

[mamaneedsavacay]

7 hours ago, juraspark said:

I did not use this download as I am dealing directly with MSC. My FCC is in 'limbo' but is attached to our up coming cruise with an excess FCC or $8. I specifically asked what would be the issue if this is not cleared up and was told that they have made notes on our file as to the issue and that we may have to call to have our boarding passes printed. Our upcoming cruise is 12/19/20 (hopefully!) Our final payment date was 9/20/20. Our booking shows active and shows the amount as owing. I was told that the booking would have been canceled if there was no final payment, and that the booking is active shows that they know it's paid but the $ has to be corrected and applied from the technical end of their accounting.

There is an issue somewhere in their system and they are trying to correct it. I'm thinking that they don't know which FCC's are affected.

If your FCC has been in limbo, since March, get your TA to do their job and call MSC on your behalf as you have tried and now they should call. There is always the possibility that your TA has no idea of this new # to call. We once had a trip canceled and after calling our TA for 3 days in a row and being told "Oh no, everything is fine" and then after insisting they check it out prior to us leaving for the airport the next day, they were surprised to find out the trip was indeed cancelled. They went from being annoyed at being bothered to sorry about your trip. I found out from emails from the company that owned the hotel we were staying at. They were hard to understand as they were translated to english and not very well. That was the last time we booked with a TA. I've yet to meet a TA who cares more about my vacation than I do.

Good Luck.

 

My FCC is also in limbo and attached to our upcoming cruise for 12/27. I do have a TA who has been terrific, so I'm getting this info from her, but ours also has a "note on the file" and my TA is going to have to call for anything on the booking, from adding the internet package to buying excursions. My booking shows active and the TA can see that all five of us are on it on her screen. But she can't see any numbers. On the app, I can only see three of us, and no numbers. But it is showing paid-in-full. It makes me so nervous to not have any real paperwork with details. My TA sends me everything she gets, including emails from MSC assuring us that they are working on it and all is well, but no actual paperwork. Which means that if this cruise cancels, it's going to be a nightmare to try to parlay this into another FCC or rebooking.

 

I'm sorry for your experience with a previous TA. Mine has done a fantastic job and I don't think I'd have gotten this far without her. In fact I know I wouldn't, because the last time I called, the MSC agent basically told me to either get somebody with some clout involved or give up. (And she couldn't connect me to anyone with clout- my TA did that.) Congrats on getting to where you are! I hope we all get to cruise this year!

[dexddd]

MSC giving TAs run around since day 60.

 

There will be a vaccine before MSC ever gets this figured out.

[Oceans 818]

18 hours ago, mamaneedsavacay said:

 

My FCC is also in limbo and attached to our upcoming cruise for 12/27. I do have a TA who has been terrific, so I'm getting this info from her, but ours also has a "note on the file" and my TA is going to have to call for anything on the booking, from adding the internet package to buying excursions. My booking shows active and the TA can see that all five of us are on it on her screen. But she can't see any numbers. On the app, I can only see three of us, and no numbers. But it is showing paid-in-full. It makes me so nervous to not have any real paperwork with details. My TA sends me everything she gets, including emails from MSC assuring us that they are working on it and all is well, but no actual paperwork. Which means that if this cruise cancels, it's going to be a nightmare to try to parlay this into another FCC or rebooking.

I do realize the anxiety of not having the paper trail. I too was not thrilled by the don't worry we have it all here from MSC.

There were issues with them emailing me, which hopefully have been corrected. However I was able to get the paperwork from a CS rep who sent me a copy showing the booking and OBS included but wasn't the regular PDF that usually you get with a booking. When I updated information through Voyagers Club it does now send me a copy of the booking with updates, perhaps going through Voyagers Club to your booking info and changing something (remember to change it back!) will get you also a paper trail! For me it was simply changing the # for emergency contact. Hope this helps.

[Orange Blossom]

I purchased through TA and when I called MSC directly for status of full refund from Mid-March was told I have to work through TA and they can tell me nothing. I have tried this several times with the same response for the past 6 months...  but I'm tired of doing nothing. Although this time the MSC Rep said to ask TA for a 3-way call. As long as TA is on the phone, they can talk directly to you. Will try this Friday. 

[mamaneedsavacay]

Good luck @Orange Blossom- I hope your TA can get things done for you. 

 

As my final update on this thread, I just logged into my MSC USA account and my new cruise is fully and properly booked, with my FCC applied. It took two weeks from the time I heard Ken Muskat got involved. 

 

So do not give up, my friends. As impatient and frustrated as I have been with this since March, we're going to have quite a nice upgrade from what we would have had in the spring. 

 

Now if we're allowed to sail in December is another question, but MSC has done their part. 

[Hsmorris]

It only took 200 days exactly, but I have a refund for our full cruise amount on my credit card as of 10/16.  My husband actually caught it and I didn't believe him.  There is hope for those of us in the black hole after all.  Good luck!

[Bluewake]

8 hours ago, Hsmorris said:

It only took 200 days exactly, but I have a refund for our full cruise amount on my credit card as of 10/16.  My husband actually caught it and I didn't believe him.  There is hope for those of us in the black hole after all.  Good luck!

 

Congratulations.  Still nothing processed for us.  Ahh, but it's only been a little over 7 months since I applied on March 10th so what should I expect?  I guess I need to be more patient with the administrative incompetence, the panoply of lies I've been told by MSC agents, the lack of response to emails (including to senior executives), and the fact they are keeping my money without explanation.  

[dexddd]

17 hours ago, Bluewake said:

 

Congratulations.  Still nothing processed for us.  Ahh, but it's only been a little over 7 months since I applied on March 10th so what should I expect?  I guess I need to be more patient with the administrative incompetence, the panoply of lies I've been told by MSC agents, the lack of response to emails (including to senior executives), and the fact they are keeping my money without explanation.  

Agreed.

[shipgeeks]

Our cancellation took place in March, we opted for FCC, we got confirmation the same day (all via our TA).  Tax refund came to our credit card in July, as did the FCC.  No phone calls, just patience while the system progressed.  Our TA's agency was handling 23 cancellations for every one booking, all being done individually.  That is not a workday I would aspire to!

 

 

[KeyzCruz]

Finally received my full refund from MSC on this morning (October 21st). I cancelled in March for a April 25th sailing. 

[Orange Blossom]

6 hours ago, KeyzCruz said:

Finally received my full refund from MSC on this morning (October 21st). I cancelled in March for a April 25th sailing. 

 

Congrats. Still waiting - MSC cancelled sailing day of embarking (stranded us in Marseille, France) on March 13th. No reimbursement at all (222 days) but it is earmarked for a full reimbursement. I call often, hear the same story, and wait.

[sfaaa]

I received an email from a MSC agent there is supposedly a bunch of refunds going out this weekend. We shall see.

[sfaaa]

What a pleasant surprise. Received my fourth and last refund yesterday. Took a while but MSC came through. To anyone still waiting for refund from MSC, best of luck and hope you will receive yours soon.

[versuco]

They still haven't made things right for our canceled March 28 cruise. All we get are empty promises. We filed a dispute and are waiting to hear on that.  What a shame, we really enjoyed our 4 MSC cruises but this has caused us to never sail with them again.  

[quattrohead]

Anyone got a refund in the past few weeks ? I had been promised a refund from an April cancellation that got shifted around and finally just cancelled for good, but my $98 is still not back in MY pocket.

[versuco]

Nothing here yet from cancelled March 28 cruise.  They still haven't fixed their mess-up on our future cruise credit.  Waiting for credit card dispute to be finalized, hopefully in my favor.

 

[dexddd]

We did finally get prepaid items but nothing on FCC for 3/22 trip.