No refund for covid cancellation, terrible customer service

[Mark_T]

6 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

It's not my opinion...it's stated in the T&C

 

If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation...

With respect you are reading that as 'five days prior to the day of embarkation..' but that is not what it says.

 

'Within 5 days prior to embarkation' is 5 days before the act of embarkation, not before the embarkation day, so I can't see how that can be a clear statement that the day of embarkation doesn't count...

Edited March 14 by Mark_T

[S1971]

5 hours ago, Mark_T said:

With respect you are reading that as 'five days prior to the day of embarkation..' but that is not what it says.

 

'Within 5 days prior to embarkation' is 5 days before the act of embarkation, not before the embarkation day, so I can't see how that can be a clear statement that the day of embarkation doesn't count...

 

That's the way I read it.

 

"Within 5 days of embarkation" suggests to me that it's days 5 to 0 leading up to boarding, it makes no sense otherwise.

 

 

[gizfish]

15 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I found something:

 

If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation, you may elect to cancel your Booking. In that event, you, and anyone else in your travelling party who cancels their Booking due to your positive COVID-19 test result, will be entitled to a refund or future cruise credit equal in value to the amount Passenger paid to the Carrier. 

 

This is on Page 6 of T&C.  It says test positive 5 days prior to embarkation.  The OPs sister tested positive the morning of embarkation, not within the 5 days prior period.

It does not say within 5 days prior to embarkation DAY.  Within 5 days includes the day one embarks, otherwise it would state before and not within. 

[gizfish]

13 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

The e-mail acknowledges that she followed the rule of contacting them within the required time period (before noon on day of embarkation).....but it doesn't address the rule of the "dates of testing".  She followed one rule, but not both of them.  That e-mail is 100% ambiguous.  Both requirements (date of test and time of phone call) should have been spelled out.

 

 I'm not trying to be disagreeable about this...if anything....testing on the morning of embarkation is more important than "5 days prior" (remember testing at the pier just before they'd let you on the ship?). 

 

For reasons like this...and after my own MSC T&C issues....I use a TA now.

Nope.  It says followed procedures AND contacted us, not followed procedures BY contacting us. They are acknowledging she followed the correct procedures and she also called correctly.  

[S1971]

1 hour ago, gizfish said:

It does not say within 5 days prior to embarkation DAY.  Within 5 days includes the day one embarks, otherwise it would state before and not within. 

 

1 hour ago, gizfish said:

Nope.  It says followed procedures AND contacted us, not followed procedures BY contacting us. They are acknowledging she followed the correct procedures and she also called correctly.  

 

100% agree, that's what I believe it to be.

 

It's a clever play on words and very much open the interpretation.

 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

On the American website....main page....towards the bottom....Terms and Services

 

Page 6....next to last paragraph:

It starts with "If you test positive for covid"....

If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation,

 

One can read this as:  within 5 24 hour periods before you get step on the ship

Or:

Five days prior to the day of embarkation....which is how MSC sees it.  And MSC's opinion is the only one that matters.

 

Just a note:  If you check the "days to your next cruise"....the day before you sail will be "1 Day Before Your Cruise".  At some point (midnight in Italy???), you're at Day 0.  They see "embarkation" as a complete day...not various times that you board.

 

Enuf on this....good luck to OP with insurance.  At least she has "a possible reason" while MSC didn't make her whole.

 

[S1971]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

On the American website....main page....towards the bottom....Terms and Services

 

Page 6....next to last paragraph:

It starts with "If you test positive for covid"....

If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation,

 

One can read this as:  within 5 24 hour periods before you get step on the ship

Or:

Five days prior to the day of embarkation....which is how MSC sees it.  And MSC's opinion is the only one that matters.

 

Just a note:  If you check the "days to your next cruise"....the day before you sail will be "1 Day Before Your Cruise".  At some point (midnight in Italy???), you're at Day 0.  They see "embarkation" as a complete day...not various times that you board.

 

Enuf on this....good luck to OP with insurance.  At least she has "a possible reason" while MSC didn't make her whole.

 

 

It reads exactly as it sounds.

 

"Within (5) days prior to embarkation" can only be days 5 down to 0 or embarkation, therefore Kim followed the T&C's as she's had confirmed by MSC.

 

"5 days prior to embarkation" is totally different that's from time of booking down to 5 days before embarkation.

 

MSC's cruise countdown has no relevance, it is just that a countdown not tied to any T&C's.

[PTC DAWG]

It's $1600 bucks, file insurance and see what happens..we can't fix it.  

[gizfish]

17 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

On the American website....main page....towards the bottom....Terms and Services

 

Page 6....next to last paragraph:

It starts with "If you test positive for covid"....

If you test positive for COVID-19 within five (5) days prior to embarkation,

 

One can read this as:  within 5 24 hour periods before you get step on the ship

Or:

Five days prior to the day of embarkation....which is how MSC sees it.  And MSC's opinion is the only one that matters.

 

Just a note:  If you check the "days to your next cruise"....the day before you sail will be "1 Day Before Your Cruise".  At some point (midnight in Italy???), you're at Day 0.  They see "embarkation" as a complete day...not various times that you board.

 

Enuf on this....good luck to OP with insurance.  At least she has "a possible reason" while MSC didn't make her whole.

 

Unless you work for MSC, this is only an opinion.  Yet you keep acting as if your opinion is fact when your opinion just does not make sense.  Once again, embarkation is the moment one embarks on their cruise.  Embarkation DAY is more specific and clearly is not mentioned in the terms.  I just don't understand how you can possibly profess to know what MSC's "opinion" is.  Their terms quite clearly mean if you test positive at any time within five days before the moment you embark including the day of embarkation.  

 

The only thing that is not clear with the OP's issue is how MSC can tell her she did everything right but not only are they not honoring the claim, they are also closing it.  

 

You would be more convincing if you blamed the whole thing on a language barrier than on your opinion of what MSC means.

[eppler]

On 3/14/2024 at 6:32 PM, Mark_T said:

With respect you are reading that as 'five days prior to the day of embarkation..' but that is not what it says.

 

'Within 5 days prior to embarkation' is 5 days before the act of embarkation, not before the embarkation day, so I can't see how that can be a clear statement that the day of embarkation doesn't count...

This is the correct answer.  Embarkation is an "act", not a date.  You can argue if embarkation is when you board or if it is when the ship leaves but that is not questioned here.

Since it is an act, the statement saying "prior to embarkation" means prior to getting on board (or ship leaving). 

 

When the statement says, "prior to date of embarkation", then it is referring to the date that the act is scheduled to take place.  So when it states the date of embarkation then you have up until midnight the day before to get it done.

 

 

[Morgsmom]

On 3/14/2024 at 8:31 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

I am still really surprised to find out they still have a COVID cancelation policy on the books, though it sounds like they are not abiding by it. Every other major cruise line got rid of these policies something like 2 years ago and now leave it for passengers to take up with their insurance, just like any other injury/illness that would prevent sailing.

ME TOO!  This is the part I don't get. I don't know of any cruise line that will let you cancel for Covid with a refund now; that's why they are pushing cruise insurance.

[Mark_T]

15 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

ME TOO!  This is the part I don't get. I don't know of any cruise line that will let you cancel for Covid with a refund now; that's why they are pushing cruise insurance.

It would also be good to confirm that the version of the Terms sent at the time the cruise was booked also contain these covid clauses...

[Brighton Line]

This is how lawyers make money and court systems are flooded with cases. Everyone here is playing a lawyer and they aren't even on TV.