Cruise bookings

Are there and disadvantages booking with Expedia as opposed to directly with MSC. I am getting the exact same options with both. Expedia beats the price by $60.00. I would imagine booking with MSC I would receive my travel documents in a nice package.

Are there and disadvantages booking with Expedia as opposed to directly with MSC. I am getting the exact same options with both. Expedia beats the price by $60.00. I would imagine booking with MSC I would receive my travel documents in a nice package.

The difference in the price is the on board credit of $50.00 MSC offers you if you book directly with them. We priced this sailing both ways,,,booking directly with MSC,,and then booking with our travel agent. The price was $50.00 more if we booked direct,,but we received a $50.00 onboard credit,,,,booking with our travel agent saved us $50.00 off of MSC's price,,but no onboard credit,,,

I am sure I will get a lot of flak from this, but I prefer a local travel agent any time over an internet agent. I like to know who I am working with, want to see them face to face.

In our local paper they have a travel section ever Sunday and help to resolve travel problems. On average about 95% of the problems are with online bookings, not only cruises but land tours. Booking directly with the cruise lines (which I have done) is safer but I get more perks with my local TA

Are there and disadvantages booking with Expedia as opposed to directly with MSC. I am getting the exact same options with both. Expedia beats the price by $60.00. I would imagine booking with MSC I would receive my travel documents in a nice package.

Not any more, the days of the nice MSC Wallet with your documents are long gone.

You will just get a couple of printouts, including baggage tags, by email from MSC directly and much the same when going via a TA.

What is likely to be harder is prebooking on board services if you use a TA, as MSC will not deal directly with you but insist you go via the TA.

Pete

We originally booked direct then rebooked through Expedia to take advantage of a sweet $500 OBC offer. I called MSC to see if they could match it and they actually suggested changing the booking. I have a phone number to a specific person who takes care of me at Expedia. So far it's been really good service.

Not any more, the days of the nice MSC Wallet with your documents are long gone.

 

You will just get a couple of printouts, including baggage tags, by email from MSC directly and much the same when going via a TA.

What is likely to be harder is prebooking on board services if you use a TA, as MSC will not deal directly with you but insist you go via the TA.

 

Pete

Absolutely not true. We booked with a TA and had no problems pre-booking excursions, spa packages etc. through the website. All we needed was the booking number.

Absolutely not true. We booked with a TA and had no problems pre-booking excursions, spa packages etc. through the website. All we needed was the booking number.

you must be the lucky one as we booked with agent (family friend) and had an MSC booking number. WE weren't able to book services online or over the phone with MSC and were told in no uncertain terms by MSC when I called them that we had to advise our agent what we wanted to book and when and MSC would send an invoice to our agent and our agent would send us theirs.

I had no problem reserving drink packages,,,shore excursions,,,specialty dining,,,etc. on the booking I made with our travel agent. Curious to know if booking in the United States makes any difference?

Absolutely not true. We booked with a TA and had no problems pre-booking excursions, spa packages etc. through the website. All we needed was the booking number.

I had no problem reserving drink packages,,,shore excursions,,,specialty dining,,,etc. on the booking I made with our travel agent. Curious to know if booking in the United States makes any difference?

There must be a difference between the UK and US regional offices when it comes to using their web sites for booking extras.,

Pete

There must be a difference between the UK and US regional offices when it comes to using their web sites for booking extras.,

 

 

Pete

I think so Pete,,,MSC's website doesn't appear to be linear from country to country.