MSC Downgrade (Changed) ship / vessel

[mawvkysc]

5 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I personally have been bumped down with no reduction in fare. If I don't like it, cancel!

Yacht club Deluxe to a balcony on deck 8.

 

 

Did you go on the cruise and did they extend YC privileges even though your room wasn’t in YC ?

[mscdivina2016]

27 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

Did you go on the cruise and did they extend YC privileges even though your room wasn’t in YC ?

No,

My attorney was on the phone with me and they told me that I will not be allowed in YC at all.

 All they wanted was for me to cancel.

They told me if I cancelled they would make it up later.

 A year later now and nothing and nothing in the notes either now .

 

They just want to sweep it under the rug but I will not let it die.

I was told to take it up on the ship. I have 5 times so far with 5 more YC cruises coming up.

Each time I get extra perks. 

[sealynx]

My latest cruise was changed from MSC Fantasia to MSC Opera, but still in a bella-balcony (which they officially don't have on MSC Opera) though much smaller. I got to choose between cancelling and full refund, or € 200 OBC (for 3 persons). I chose the latter, because that is aprox. half of what we normally spend onboard and I was still happy with the ship (even in hindsight 🙂

[Homosassa]

12 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

No,

My attorney was on the phone with me and they told me that I will not be allowed in YC at all.

 All they wanted was for me to cancel.

They told me if I cancelled they would make it up later.

 A year later now and nothing and nothing in the notes either now .

 

They just want to sweep it under the rug but I will not let it die.

I was told to take it up on the ship. I have 5 times so far with 5 more YC cruises coming up.

Each time I get extra perks. 

For everyone who doesn't know the full backstory (as detailed in one ranting post after another):

 

The ship was chartered after a YC cabin was booked (charter included the whole ship). 

 

Poster was notified of the charter and was offered several options by MSC regarding his reservation (can't remember them all at this point, but seemed the same standard options offered by all cruise lines when full ship charters occur).

 

Passenger insisted that he remain on the ship . He was offered a non-YC balcony and was told that he would have access to the YC. No butler service would be available, 

 

And than the lawyer was involved. 

 

In spite of the horrific treatment by MSC, poster continues to book MSC and beats the dead horse here on Cruise Critic and, apparently, on every MSC cruise he has taken since then.

 

[Happygcruiser]

On 9/6/2022 at 11:44 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

There is another thread where someone was on Virtuosa (Meraviglia Plus class) and was switched to Bellissima (Meraviglia class) but they were also bumped up from Aurea to Yacht Club.

 

The OP of this thread might not get an experience bump up but they won't get bumped down....probably (it's MSC so anything is possible). 

 

Since the OP has so much invested so far, I don't really see a reason to panic. Since the two ships are so similar, I don't really see a reason to cancel. 

Thats me who has been bumped up to Yacht Club. Still feeling lucky.

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

For everyone who doesn't know the full backstory (as detailed in one ranting post after another):

 

The ship was chartered after a YC cabin was booked (charter included the whole ship). 

 

Poster was notified of the charter and was offered several options by MSC regarding his reservation (can't remember them all at this point, but seemed the same standard options offered by all cruise lines when full ship charters occur).

 

Passenger insisted that he remain on the ship . He was offered a non-YC balcony and was told that he would have access to the YC. No butler service would be available, 

 

And than the lawyer was involved. 

 

In spite of the horrific treatment by MSC, poster continues to book MSC and beats the dead horse here on Cruise Critic and, apparently, on every MSC cruise he has taken since then.

 

Not accurate at all.

 

I booked a year prior on another ship in an inside Yacht club.

 

I called in August,two months prior to get a Deluxe YC room 

 

Rep on phone told me of a great deal on a GS YC room on another ship.  So we switched.

 

One month later, I find I have been downgraded, not offered, because the Armonia, which was a full charter was not going to make it to the USA.

 

They gave that charter our ship.

 

I was NOT offered anything other than if I don't like it to cancel. There were many of us here that were affected.

 

I offered them to put me on any sailing from USA of their choice over next 4 months, they can choose ,just give me 48 hours notice . No offer of any sort.

 

That is when I got a lawyer involved.

I was told I would win but they will cost me more in legal fees that I would recover. Nice thing to say to a customer.

 

In my prior dealings with them, I was told I could take the issue up on the ship. I recorded that and I do as I was instructed to do until they make it right.

[mscdivina2016]

25 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Not accurate at all.

 

I booked a year prior on another ship in an inside Yacht club.

 

I called in August,two months prior to get a Deluxe YC room 

 

Rep on phone told me of a great deal on a GS YC room on another ship.  So we switched.

 

One month later, I find I have been downgraded, not offered, because the Armonia, which was a full charter was not going to make it to the USA.

 

They gave that charter our ship.

 

I was NOT offered anything other than if I don't like it to cancel. There were many of us here that were affected.

 

I offered them to put me on any sailing from USA of their choice over next 4 months, they can choose ,just give me 48 hours notice . No offer of any sort.

 

That is when I got a lawyer involved.

I was told I would win but they will cost me more in legal fees that I would recover. Nice thing to say to a customer.

 

In my prior dealings with them, I was told I could take the issue up on the ship. I recorded that and I do as I was instructed to do until they make it right.

To further add to it,

I would not be able to enter Yacht nor have any of the benefits despite no reduction in fare.

Why pay $5000 for YC to get a $1200 room?

 

To add insult to injury, that balcony room did not come with booze or internet. So on top of $5000 I would have had to pay more for that.

 

All it was ,was a ploy to get me to cancel.

[1kaper]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

For everyone who doesn't know the full backstory (as detailed in one ranting post after another):

 

The ship was chartered after a YC cabin was booked (charter included the whole ship). 

 

Poster was notified of the charter and was offered several options by MSC regarding his reservation (can't remember them all at this point, but seemed the same standard options offered by all cruise lines when full ship charters occur).

 

Passenger insisted that he remain on the ship . He was offered a non-YC balcony and was told that he would have access to the YC. No butler service would be available, 

 

And than the lawyer was involved. 

 

In spite of the horrific treatment by MSC, poster continues to book MSC and beats the dead horse here on Cruise Critic and, apparently, on every MSC cruise he has taken since then.

 

 

I thought there was also the issue of a pricing mixup.  The poster was able to book the YC room for a very reduced rate.
Or maybe I'm confusing threads. 

[philsuarez]

Armonia has no YC?

[1kaper]

9 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

To further add to it,

I would not be able to enter Yacht nor have any of the benefits despite no reduction in fare.

Why pay $5000 for YC to get a $1200 room?

 

To add insult to injury, that balcony room did not come with booze or internet. So on top of $5000 I would have had to pay more for that.

 

All it was ,was a ploy to get me to cancel.

 

 

In the other thread you said you paid $1500 for one person for the week for a YC Grand Suite.   

[JAGR]

1 hour ago, philsuarez said:

Armonia has no YC?

No it does not.  In this story, the Armonia was intended to be the charter ship, but was not available to the charter group, so they got assigned to a different ship.

[mscdivina2016]

2 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

 

In the other thread you said you paid $1500 for one person for the week for a YC Grand Suite.   

I stand corrected.

$3094 total.

Edited September 8, 2022 by mscdivina2016

[Nunagoras]

Actually the Bellissima is just a little bit smaller than the Virtuosa. As I understand it; MSC has now more chances to fill a ship out of the British market than the Med one, because essentially people there are now more ready to cruise after the pandemic than in many other parts of the world, especially continental Europe. I don't believe the economic crisis as being the culprit of lower demand from continental Europe. From where I live all travel industry booking schemes are pretty much at 2019 level if not higher, except for cruising which is remaining far below for any reason. No surprise they'll get the larger ships there than here in the Med. Either way: It's basically same class with some less guests. Wonderful. Have a nice sailing if you go!...

[77red96]

On 9/8/2022 at 4:38 PM, mscdivina2016 said:

To further add to it,

I would not be able to enter Yacht nor have any of the benefits despite no reduction in fare.

Why pay $5000 for YC to get a $1200 room?

 

To add insult to injury, that balcony room did not come with booze or internet. So on top of $5000 I would have had to pay more for that.

 

All it was ,was a ploy to get me to cancel.

I'm lost, I've seen your posts pop up in a few threads.

What I'm failing to understand is did you cancel the cruise and get a full refund? In which case everything else is hypothetical and there is a lot of crying about nothing, airlines cancel thousands of flights a day or offer a different flight in a lower class at the same ticket, if you don't want the alternative, cancel, that is typical of pretty much every airline.

 

Or did you go on the cruise and take the downgrade? In this case I'm all ears and I'm dying to hear more of what you were refused and feel you have a case for a complaint

 

 

 

 

[hamrag]

26 minutes ago, 77red96 said:

.....I'm all ears and I'm dying to hear more of what you were refused and feel you have a case for a complaint

 

Nooooooo, please, don't give him any more oxygen!!

[8420PR]

15 hours ago, Nunagoras said:

Actually the Bellissima is just a little bit smaller than the Virtuosa. As I understand it; MSC has now more chances to fill a ship out of the British market than the Med one, because essentially people there are now more ready to cruise after the pandemic than in many other parts of the world, especially continental Europe. I don't believe the economic crisis as being the culprit of lower demand from continental Europe. From where I live all travel industry booking schemes are pretty much at 2019 level if not higher, except for cruising which is remaining far below for any reason. No surprise they'll get the larger ships there than here in the Med. Either way: It's basically same class with some less guests. Wonderful. Have a nice sailing if you go!...

I don't think it is demand for Northern Europe cruises that are driving this change, I think it driven by strong demand for cruises in Brazil and MSC needed to find something for MSC Bellissima to do (probably previously planned to be in China).   

MSC is selling the winter Northern Europe cruises (previously on Preziosa and now on Virtuosa) at a significant discount to Med cruises - €30 to €35 per person per day for an inside cabin and €100 pppd for a YIN - which are prices normally seen on repositioning cruises.  

[Nunagoras]

6 hours ago, 8420PR said:

I don't think it is demand for Northern Europe cruises that are driving this change, I think it driven by strong demand for cruises in Brazil and MSC needed to find something for MSC Bellissima to do (probably previously planned to be in China).   

MSC is selling the winter Northern Europe cruises (previously on Preziosa and now on Virtuosa) at a significant discount to Med cruises - €30 to €35 per person per day for an inside cabin and €100 pppd for a YIN - which are prices normally seen on repositioning cruises.  

Yeah! Brazil is on the rise, but it is risky as well due to the general elections possible political outcome. To the ones not familiar with the thing, in Brazil a Trump like President with a Trump like desire to refuse results acceptance if he loose, is running against a far left very corrupt former President whose followers won't accept current President's defy on a more than probable loss... Things might to go from a simple protest time to even such a civil war of some sort, with most of the army's higher officials on "Trump" side... Hope for the better, myself, but prepared for the worst, knowing how that society work... So; MSC sent the Preziosa, so far from their current flagship to add some more offer there on Brazil... And they sent the flagship to Southampton!...

[mscdivina2016]

17 hours ago, 77red96 said:

I'm lost, I've seen your posts pop up in a few threads.

What I'm failing to understand is did you cancel the cruise and get a full refund? In which case everything else is hypothetical and there is a lot of crying about nothing, airlines cancel thousands of flights a day or offer a different flight in a lower class at the same ticket, if you don't want the alternative, cancel, that is typical of pretty much every airline.

 

Or did you go on the cruise and take the downgrade? In this case I'm all ears and I'm dying to hear more of what you were refused and feel you have a case for a complaint

 

 

 

 

Not an easy quick answer, but I will try.

 

Firstly I did not book a Salsa group cruise.

Basically I was being bumped because of a full ship charter. The T&C and CLIA spells out what is to happen.

The stickler with my booking is I was now in a YCGS on the cheap and the above calls for me to pick another cruise with an upgrade. In my case now a YCRS.  They were not going to do it, plain and simple not for a $3000ish booking.

 

With lawyers on phone just prior to sailing we agreed to cancel due to several things (primarily me being arrested on federal charges at a federal port if I decided to lose it at the port) and to be taken care of at a later date, which did not happen and turned into a take us to court.

 

The things they did and said were anti customer service at the least. I was told they will cost me triple in attorney fees over what I would recover because I would win a suit, but by bringing a suit, I am limited to monetary damages and would probably be banned for life.Attorney fee's are not recoverable.

 In the end I am out attorney fee's and have never been "taken care of" and I am out a $378 travel insurance policy as well.

 

So as instructed, I will take care of it on the ship until it is taken care of.

 

 

[CaroleC]

On 9/7/2022 at 8:32 AM, 77red96 said:

From what I can see the only difference between Bellissima and Virtuosa is a panoramic glass lift. 

Which we completely forgot about when we were on Virtuosa and therefore never used it! 🙈😆