MSC Cancellation Policy

[MacMarauder]

Hello all, hope I can get some help regarding the MSC Cancellation policy. I booked Seashore for August, originally under the "Super Family Plus" stateroom type. MSC has since changed it to one balcony cabin without telling me so I'm planning to cancel. However, when I called today to cancel I was told that because I selected the travel protection plan I won't get my deposit back for it. Apparently I can cancel the cruise itself because we are well ahead of the 90 days to sailing, but you can only cancel the travel protection within 10 days. I've never heard of anything like this, is this true or should I call back and try to get someone else? It's not a huge amount of money but annoying if I have to pay MSC $350 for nothing!

[FrostyJoe]

1 minute ago, MacMarauder said:

Hello all, hope I can get some help regarding the MSC Cancellation policy. I booked Seashore for August, originally under the "Super Family Plus" stateroom type. MSC has since changed it to one balcony cabin without telling me so I'm planning to cancel. However, when I called today to cancel I was told that because I selected the travel protection plan I won't get my deposit back for it. Apparently I can cancel the cruise itself because we are well ahead of the 90 days to sailing, but you can only cancel the travel protection within 10 days. I've never heard of anything like this, is this true or should I call back and try to get someone else? It's not a huge amount of money but annoying if I have to pay MSC $350 for nothing!

Would moving the cruise be an option? For another shot at the getting-the-cabin-type-booked lottery?  I would imagine the insurance can be moved too then.  We’ve never had an issue moving travel dates with our private travel insurance but who knows about MSC sponsored insurance. 
 

MSC sponsored insurance does have 10 day “look back” period which the time you have to review policy terms and conditions and cancel for a full refund. I don’t think you can expect to get the refund for the premiums no matter how much you try. Especially considering the fact MSC is just a middle man and actual insurance is underwritten by someone else.  See https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/usa/documents/msc-insurance-details.pdf

[Markanddonna]

12 minutes ago, FrostyJoe said:

Would moving the cruise be an option? For another shot at the getting-the-cabin-type-booked lottery?  I would imagine the insurance can be moved too then.  We’ve never had an issue moving travel dates with our private travel insurance but who knows about MSC sponsored insurance. 
 

 

This is also our experience. The private insurance companies always let us move our policy to another cruise.  Another reason to go private.

[styles27]

59 minutes ago, MacMarauder said:

Hello all, hope I can get some help regarding the MSC Cancellation policy. I booked Seashore for August, originally under the "Super Family Plus" stateroom type. MSC has since changed it to one balcony cabin without telling me so I'm planning to cancel. However, when I called today to cancel I was told that because I selected the travel protection plan I won't get my deposit back for it. Apparently I can cancel the cruise itself because we are well ahead of the 90 days to sailing, but you can only cancel the travel protection within 10 days. I've never heard of anything like this, is this true or should I call back and try to get someone else? It's not a huge amount of money but annoying if I have to pay MSC $350 for nothing!

I just double checked to be sure with our friends who were supposed to cruise with us last Nov on Divina because they had a similar situation. 

We booked in July 2021 for Nov 2021 and purchased insurance through MSC. 

Our friends decided not to go, so she called to cancel before making final payment. 
MSC told her the same thing that she wouldn’t get the $280 they paid for insurance refunded.
 She was ok with that. 
 

Low and behold within 10 days the full amount for the deposit and insurance was refunded to her credit card. 
 

So sometimes (or most of the time 😉) the phone reps don’t even know what will happen. 

Maybe this will happen for you 🤞

[MacMarauder]

5 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I just double checked to be sure with our friends who were supposed to cruise with us last Nov on Divina because they had a similar situation. 

We booked in July 2021 for Nov 2021 and purchased insurance through MSC. 

Our friends decided not to go, so she called to cancel before making final payment. 
MSC told her the same thing that she wouldn’t get the $280 they paid for insurance refunded.
 She was ok with that. 
 

Low and behold within 10 days the full amount for the deposit and insurance was refunded to her credit card. 
 

So sometimes (or most of the time 😉) the phone reps don’t even know what will happen. 

Maybe this will happen for you 🤞

 

Lol I like the positivity here! I think that is going to be my strategy, just to cancel and hope for the best. In any event it's a lesson learned and not a huge amount of money. Have to roll with the punches sometimes!

[sfaaa]

In order not to lose $350, may be you can still go and enjoy the cruise even though the current stateroom is not what you want. Just a suggestion.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

13 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

In order not to lose $350, may be you can still go and enjoy the cruise even though the current stateroom is not what you want. Just a suggestion.

Super Family Plus is usually 2-3 connecting cabins, as far as I understand. So, when when MSC switches you ALL to a single balcony room, you don't get what you paid for.

[MacMarauder]

29 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Super Family Plus is usually 2-3 connecting cabins, as far as I understand. So, when when MSC switches you ALL to a single balcony room, you don't get what you paid for.

 

This is correct, I had Super Family booked which is 2 connecting balconies as opposed to Super Family Plus which was 3 (I messed up my terminology in the OP). In any event MSC did away with those categories, and instead of moving me into two connecting balconies they put my whole family in one. So a two for one deal but you pay for two and get one.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 minutes ago, MacMarauder said:

 

This is correct, I had Super Family booked which is 2 connecting balconies as opposed to Super Family Plus which was 3 (I messed up my terminology in the OP). In any event MSC did away with those categories, and instead of moving me into two connecting balconies they put my whole family in one. So a two for one deal but you pay for two and get one.

If you don't get the $350 refunded (as you should - I think it is crazy that they'd keep the insurance if you cancel the trip before the final payment date), I'd dispute it with the credit card. $350 is a nice chunk of money.

[FrostyJoe]

44 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

If you don't get the $350 refunded (as you should - I think it is crazy that they'd keep the insurance if you cancel the trip before the final payment date), I'd dispute it with the credit card. $350 is a nice chunk of money.

Eh. I’d be very hesitant to suggest to OP to dispute the insurance amount.  It’ll probably be better just rolling the dice and booking another one by moving this one or just hoping they’ll be refunded for insurance like the other posters friends.
 

 Op had the opportunity to cancel the insurance for ten days after purchasing (“look back period”) which they elected not to use.  Just because OP doesn’t have Covered cause which can trigger the insurance for a payout, doesn’t mean they are entitled a refund.  It’s not different than the numerous times I’ve had to trigger for cancel for any reason clause on my insurance policy— I got the claim paid for the “loss” per the policy certain not the premiums on it. 
 

Because this insurance was sold via MSC (even though it’s underwritten by someone else), even if the OP wins the dispute (which I highly doubt in this case), doesn’t change the fact contractually they did nothing wrong — at least from the insurance side.  
 

Depending on how aggressive MSC wants to be, there is a potential, however remote, that MSC drag the op to federal court in Miami for recovery/collection effort.

 

I do believe there is some merit on the room downgrade issue. But based on the terms of insurwnce I believe there is zero leg to stand on for the insurance side. Even though it’s related it’s two different issues.  

Edited January 28, 2022 by FrostyJoe

[mscdivina2016]

31 minutes ago, FrostyJoe said:

 

 

Depending on how aggressive MSC wants to be, there is a potential, however remote, that MSC drag the op to federal court in Miami for recovery/collection effort.

 

100% chance that can't happen.

 

Suit against a passenger or future passenger must occur where the passenger resides. The county in which the passenger listed as his or her address when booking.

 

A passenger bringing suit must do that in the south Florida district, not necessarily Miami.

[FrostyJoe]

41 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

100% chance that can't happen.

 

Suit against a passenger or future passenger must occur where the passenger resides. The county in which the passenger listed as his or her address when booking.

 

A passenger bringing suit must do that in the south Florida district, not necessarily Miami.

My main point was that credit card dispute, if successful, it self doesn't change the underlying claim MSC may have against the OP for the insurance side of the premium...

 

With respect to venue, I know you've had possible proceeding towards MSC likely know more (but what about MSC to Passenger suits??) but I'm just going straight by their terms/conditions

 

I don't see venue section of the terms we've all agreed to here talking about direction/difference of lawsuit suits from passenger to MSC or suits from MSC to passenger...I may be wrong of course...but I also know courts routinely accept mandatory arbitration clauses, waiver of class action,  venue/court to bring suits, and in MSC's case waiver of right passengers may have to "arrest" one of their ships--like we've seen on the media on another cruise line.

 

26. LAW, VENUE AND JURISDICTION
For all Cruise Packages where the Cruise portion of the itinerary includes any port in the USA or which embarks or disembarks in the USA (USA Voyages), the general maritime law of the United States shall apply supplemented by Florida state law on the subject of dramshop (alcohol) liability (Florida Statutes 786.125). Should any dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arise between Passenger and the Company or Carrier, including but not limited to disputes regarding the interpretation or application of the present contract, or claims for loss, injury, death or damage, such matters shall be resolved exclusively by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, or if such court lacks jurisdiction, then by a court of competent jurisdiction in Ft. Lauderdale, to the exclusion of any other court, venue or jurisdiction.

 

Looks like there was a Supreme Court ruling on topic of venue FWIW. But I’m still not sure if this will apply to Cruise to Passenger suits 🤷🏻‍♂️
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Cruise_Lines,_Inc._v._Shute

Edited January 28, 2022 by FrostyJoe

[MacMarauder]

As an update I called again over the weekend to cancel this, figured I would roll the dice and see how much I got back. Surprisingly the person I talked to said I would get the entire deposit back and it was their corporate policy to refund the trip insurance. She even said not to panic when the first refund hit my card for the smaller amount (about $50) because the remainder would take another week or two. She seemed very confident so we will see!

[sidari]

3 minutes ago, MacMarauder said:

As an update I called again over the weekend to cancel this, figured I would roll the dice and see how much I got back. Surprisingly the person I talked to said I would get the entire deposit back and it was their corporate policy to refund the trip insurance. She even said not to panic when the first refund hit my card for the smaller amount (about $50) because the remainder would take another week or two. She seemed very confident so we will see!

Good luck and fingers crossed.