What will happen to MSC UK Staycation Cruises if the next Stage of lockdown on 21 June gets delayed

[showingdiva]

Liverpool, Birmingham, Cheshire and Blackpool on a surge testing / don't travel order.

[ziggyuk]

12 minutes ago, showingdiva said:

Liverpool, Birmingham, Cheshire and Blackpool on a surge testing / don't travel order.

 

I'm trying to find reference in the news but drawing a blank, do you have any more information?

 

EDIT: I think I found it, not digested it yet, just quick edit before the window closes.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-new-covid-dont-travel-24317043

Edited June 14, 2021 by ziggyuk

[showingdiva]

2 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I'm trying to find reference in the news but drawing a blank, do you have any more information?

 

It pinged up as breaking news on Daily Mirror online

 

[ziggyuk]

Just now, showingdiva said:

 

It pinged up as breaking news on Daily Mirror online

 

 

It just goes from bad to worse, looks like we will be going around in circles in the Irish sea!

I only wanted to get off in Liverpool & Greenock 😱

[showingdiva]

1 minute ago, ziggyuk said:

 

It just goes from bad to worse, looks like we will be going around in circles in the Irish sea!

I only wanted to get off in Liverpool & Greenock 😱

 

It does.  I confessed to MSC today I was at the point I would be prepared to embark anywhere.   It may yet come to that.

 

 

[ziggyuk]

2 minutes ago, showingdiva said:

 

It does.  I confessed to MSC today I was at the point I would be prepared to embark anywhere.   It may yet come to that.

 

 

 

I so feel for you, there was me getting stressed about this and I forgot you were boarding in Greenock and then potentially Liverpool.

I hope this works out for you, so sorry I was being selfish thinking of the implications to me.

[showingdiva]

1 minute ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I so feel for you, there was me getting stressed about this and I forgot you were boarding in Greenock and then potentially Liverpool.

I hope this works out for you, so sorry I was being selfish thinking of the implications to me.

 

Not at all.  There's so many people in the same boat (excuse the pun, because I'm not yet) as myself .. and I also have my own port to worry about.  Of those 127 I should have been working with this summer, we're down to 6 - and 4 of them are hanging by a spring line.

 

[sidari]

23 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I'm trying to find reference in the news but drawing a blank, do you have any more information?

 

EDIT: I think I found it, not digested it yet, just quick edit before the window closes.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-new-covid-dont-travel-24317043

Is it not a travel advisory rather than an order ? Funny how the details are released today ! Anything to support the Failure of Doris and Co.

[showingdiva]

7 minutes ago, sidari said:

Is it not a travel advisory rather than an order ? Funny how the details are released today ! Anything to support the Failure of Doris and Co.

 

They have been "urged" not to travel, but presumably it affects the travel insurance of those travelling into Liverpool in the case of cruise ships.

 

Whereas in sunny Scotland, our lot ban a vaccinated, massively under-occupied cruise ship, yet allow 6000 football fans to get drunk in a compound watching our national team under-performing ..... again

 

Liverpool was heading to being the get out clause for those who were supposed to be embarking in Greenock.   Even that's looking rocky now.

 

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Is it not a travel advisory rather than an order ? Funny how the details are released today ! Anything to support the Failure of Doris and Co.

 

1 hour ago, showingdiva said:

 

They have been "urged" not to travel, but presumably it affects the travel insurance of those travelling into Liverpool in the case of cruise ships.

 

Whereas in sunny Scotland, our lot ban a vaccinated, massively under-occupied cruise ship, yet allow 6000 football fans to get drunk in a compound watching our national team under-performing ..... again

 

Liverpool was heading to being the get out clause for those who were supposed to be embarking in Greenock.   Even that's looking rocky now.

 

 

I was thinking the port will be obliged to follow the advisory.

[sidari]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

 

 

I was thinking the port will be obliged to follow the advisory.

How very convenient for this news to break today, I doubt that many will be doing so after seeing Doris and Co having their Beach BBQ with no social distancing and no Isolation.

Edited June 14, 2021 by sidari

[Ladyshopper23]

This has just been sent out:

 

Here' the latest from MSC

MSC CRUISES OFFERS GUESTS IMPACTED BY CONTINUING CRUISE CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS FOR MSC VIRTUOSA SAILINGS IN THE UK ALTERNATIVE BOOKING OPTIONS

Sailings to visit some of the UK’s favourite destinations to remain limited to 1,000 guests onboard until 19 July

London, UK - 16 June 2021 – MSC Cruises is disappointed that it has been necessary for the Government to delay the planned easing of COVID restrictions in England and maintain the current capacity restrictions on certain indoor venues, which limit our cruise ship to operating with a maximum of 1,000 guests onboard at any given time. This comes following the position announced last week by the Scottish Government that cruise calls in Scotland are only recommended to begin once all areas are designated as Level 1 of its COVID restrictions.

Like all of the UK, the Company had fully expected that most restrictions would be removed from 21 June onwards and so was ready to host more than 1,000 guests on its flagship, MSC Virtuosa, under the safety of its industry leading health and safety protocol, which includes repeated universal testing at embarkation and during cruises.

However, as this capacity restriction is expected to continue to apply until 19 July, MSC Cruises regrets that a number of UK guests who have booked a cruise departing after 21 June but before 19 July may need to be assisted to rebook on a sailing departing after the restriction is removed. Whilst still seeking further clarifications from the relevant authorities and continuing to monitor for developments, the Company will initially begin by contacting those affected guests due to embark between 23 June and 26 June.

MSC Cruises has adopted a fair criterion based on the earlier date of booking so that the first 1,000 guests will maintain their bookings, and it can be assured that guests booked on sailings prior to the 21 June are unaffected entirely. In addition to a variety of rebooking options, guests will be offered the option of a refund. More details will be available shortly on msccruises.co.uk and through the MSC Cruises’ contact centre or its travel agent partners.

MSC Cruises looks forward to the eventual easing of COVID restrictions in the UK so cruising can play a bigger role in the vital restart of British tourism and its contribution to the economy, and it can offer more UK residents that safe and richly deserved holiday option this summer.

-ENDS-

So, MSC were banking on the restrictions being lifted and clearly have been booking more than 1000 passengers on after 21st June. Not good.

[ziggyuk]

12 minutes ago, Ladyshopper23 said:

This has just been sent out:

 

MSC Cruises has adopted a fair criterion based on the earlier date of booking so that the first 1,000 guests will maintain their bookings, and it can be assured that guests booked on sailings prior to the 21 June are unaffected entirely. In addition to a variety of rebooking options, guests will be offered the option of a refund.

 

At least they are being fair, I was worried I might be vulnerable as I booked the cheap seats in an inside.

 

I should be OK with our April 1st booking unless they want to make a fool of me 😂

 

I do hope everyone on here is OK.

[Cruiseforever11]

We also booked 1st April for 3rd July. I can't remember when they opened up the bookings for all the UK cruises. I wonder how many over the 1000 they have? I thought they would of just kept to a 1000 till they got the go ahead. Fingers crossed for everybody x

[boxman52]

When we booked they said it was limited to a 1000 this is for 6th of July. That must have changed. 

 

I can see on our booking we cannot check in and the 20 days are in scope so we should be able to.

 

Having an inside cabin, I cannot believe with limited numbers they are going to turn away people in suits and YC to let people who have paid less on. Fair play if they do, but if I was a shareholder I might not agree with that decision. 

[Wiggster]

On 6/16/2021 at 4:17 PM, boxman52 said:

Having an inside cabin, I cannot believe with limited numbers they are going to turn away people in suits and YC to let people who have paid less on. Fair play if they do, but if I was a shareholder I might not agree with that decision. 

To be fair people that booked and paid at the earliest opportunity, paid a lot more for their cruises then those that purchased later, I am a single person cruiser and I paid approx £1,250.00, but did get £250 of onboard spend (one week, inside cabin), whilst I realise you alway pay more for single person cruises, it was still a lot to pay for an inside cabin...

 

In the last month or so I have been offered cruises for £899.00 with balcony cabin and free parking, which I was pretty gutted about until now, which I hope means my 3rd July will be safe for me, but the fear is a single cruiser MSC will cancel me as obviously one person will not spend as much as a family..

[LifeonMars]

1 hour ago, Wiggster said:

To be fair people that booked and paid at the earliest opportunity, paid a lot more for their cruises then those that purchased later, I am a single person cruiser and I paid approx £1,250.00, but did get £250 of onboard spend (one week, inside cabin), whilst I realise you alway pay more for single person cruises, it was still a lot to pay for an inside cabin...

 

In the last month or so I have been offered cruises for £899.00 with balcony cabin and free parking, which I was pretty gutted about until now, which I hope means my 3rd July will be safe for me, but the fear is a single cruiser MSC will cancel me as obviously one person will not spend as much as a family..

It may be worth your time if you phone them and explain your position and see if they will upgrade you to a balcony, don’t ask don’t get . Some on here have succeeded being in that predicament, however that was prior to the excess of 1000 guests. 

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, Couple-Somerset said:

 

I would NOT do that until a week before your cruise.

 

The way MSC systems go, you could find yourself offloaded if any cabin changes are made in the next week or so.

 

Not saying it will happen but their back-office setup is notoriously unreliable and unpredictable. 

 

Totally agree, Stu is facing this exact situation after booking early doors and upgrading recently he ended up with a new booking date, I with him luck.

[sidari]

8 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

Totally agree, Stu is facing this exact situation after booking early doors and upgrading recently he ended up with a new booking date, I with him luck.

That's crazy surely the original booking date should stand.

[ziggyuk]

34 minutes ago, sidari said:

That's crazy surely the original booking date should stand.

 

Yes, see this, I hope he is not cancelled, it doesn't appear right to me, especially as they are so addiment they are being "fair".

 

[stuart2468]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

That's crazy surely the original booking date should stand.

This is what I'm hoping for. So far no cancellation, but my new confirmation since my upgrade, shows a booking date of 26/05, although still with the original booking reference. I actually booked 02/04

 

I called MSC and was basically told wait and see. 

[swoopy2110]

10 minutes ago, stuart2468 said:

This is what I'm hoping for. So far no cancellation, but my new confirmation since my upgrade, shows a booking date of 26/05, although still with the original booking reference. I actually booked 02/04

 

I called MSC and was basically told wait and see. 

I am on the 13th July from Liverpool (so mid-way through your week!). I only booked on 27th May so I am less than optimistic.

Be great if they could just give us an indication of whether we're ok or not! Would rather start planning something else if I knew either way.

[sidari]

Friend in Scotland said that the Government there have advised people not to visit Liverpool, if MSC follow that advice then all Greenock bookings could be booted 

For those booked I hope not.

[Wiggster]

I have received an email yesterday advising the Covid procedure when embarking and today I received the upgrade bid email again.

 

MSC are being really generous to the people lucky enough to be able to cruise on the 3rd July (NOT).

 

To upgrade to Yacht Club minimum bid is just over £1,030, and for balcony £260, and outside £50 (all based on 2 people in a cabin (i.e. doubled for me as I am a single cruiser)

 

These are the same prices that were offered to me a couple of months ago..

 

But to be fair I am just really happy that my cruise will be still happening and sincere apologies to those people that have had their cruise cancelled ☹️