Rhea98

For any other US citizens reading, I just clipped this from the Grandiosa FB page 21 hrs ago--"depends where you are coming from. US residents need a PCR. I’m a US passport holder but live in Germany. We had antigen tests and were twice questioned for a PCR. When I explained that we live in Germany and showed proof they let us through."

Except that we were flying AA/BA so used the Verifly app, it was similar for us going from US to Rome in Dec. Two flight arrivals were going through immigration when we arrived. Many people had to pull out papers and spend 15 minutes at the windows. All they wanted from us were our passports. The app info may have precluded additional checks. I had paper copies of EVERYTHING and carried vaccination cards with our passports. I'll do the same this time minus an app as Delta says our flight doesn't qualify for their app. It did appear that NCL presented straightforward, unified info for what they expected. If the MSC app still shows antigen test before we leave, I'm going for that and taking a time-stamp photo of the app should there be an issue.

Enjoy your cruise!

This confusion (PCR/Antigen) existed ahead of the Seashore TA. However, at that time, MSC posted that telemonitored (antigen) test results were acceptable. PCR tests were only required for unvaccinated cruisers, and the timeframe was 72 hours. Antigen timeframe was 48 hr.

I do understand the fluid nature of the requirements so that the only fact I can count on at this time is that MSC publishes/emails/ speaks conflicting information. I will be happy to grab a $75 (x2) antigen test at MCO or DTW. I will not be happy to pay $175 (x2) for a PCR. 

Cruise Critic has an insurance info thread. I still don't have req. insurance for our European cruises starting April 27. (We may have to cancel the entire trip so I'm not getting it yet.) If the trip is a "go," I plan to get insurance from that source as they quoted a very competitive price to cover both of our cruises. We are 74 and 81 so the insurance costs begin around 12% of the trip cost. 

On 4/1/2022 at 6:17 PM, Number34 said:

It seems to vary according to which MSC site you visit!

The UK one has this for Mediterranean cruises:

 

All Guests (2 years old and over) need to provide a certificate of a negative Antigen or RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before embarkation. If you embark on your cruise at 15:00 on a Saturday, you should take your COVID-19 test on the Thursday as of 15:00.

 

I am sailing from Marseille next Wednesday and will go for the antigen as it should be quicker to get the results.

It also varies when looking at the MSC for ME app. For our cruise from Genoa on April 27, the app states that either test (antigen or PCR) is acceptable (non-Schengen)  just as the UK site states. We had planned, based on this info, to do tele-monitored antigen tests because of the 48 hr window. In October, IIRCC (Seashore TA dumped its guests), MSC allowed 72 hrs for PCR and 48 for antigen. We fly out on April 25 before noon so that we will arrive the day BEFORE the cruise departs. 

I, similar to others, am interested in what is actually accepted at the port.

Original

The one I received today. I am in the US, of course.

Not surprised to read this; however, it would have been great if MSC had notified us. They did send an email when St P dropped off (and still have the opportunity to get a refund per email). We are on the Grandiosa repo Genoa-Copenhagen then have the next 14 days. The second 7 day is almost identical to the first, now. 

Thanks for the post.

Terminal testing is the more nerve-racking to me. We did that in Civitavecchia in December on NCL. We'd tested within a 72 hr range as well as a 48 hr range before leaving Orlando. We maintained our personal health protocols through Miami, Boston, LHR, and FCO before a night at the port.  Our next cruise is out of Genoa in April, and we are glad just to have to test within 48 hrs (we may have to get tele-monitored tests, though). At least, I think what the protocol is at the moment.

It will be worth the wait! I love Epic, too. Our 2019 cruise replacement (#2--#1 was the ill-fated Seashore transatlantic), will be on Grandiosa  for 2 weeks in May. We lost St Petersburg (and maybe will lose more), but we also booked Grandiosa's repo from Genoa to Copenhagen. 

Pretty much what Two Wheels Only did. I had this issue a few days ago. What worked for me was to log out then enter VC number when asked. That method was still working yesterday.

We, also, have Helsinki and Tallin  on our itinerary. 

Last I read (returned to Port of Miami in Dec after Getaway transatlantic), it doesn't use Global Entry. I've read that Port Everglades does.

I received an email today.

1 hour ago, FrostyJoe said:

Wow, I'm extremely surprised that at least some folks would be refunded.  Perhaps it's some sort of archane/pro-consumer European rule they got to follow

This was a cruise MSC cancelled (like dozens of others--hundreds, probably) if that makes any difference. The first cruise MSC canceled was for fall of 2019. It was canceled before final payment so only deposit paid. We were offered a refund on that, too, but took the 125%--made 398 become 426--I don't know how MSC does math.  🥴 It keeps getting more complicated with each cruise booked to replace the previously canceled one. 

16 hours ago, FrostyJoe said:

Just curious, do you know if FCC gets refunded back as cash if not used?

 

If not, I wonder what’s in it for MSC to remind people to use the FCC unless they’re just trying to get bodies on board to spend $ on the ship to lessen the sunk costs of crew pay, fuel and other 

that’s nice of them either way though. Especially with the specialty agent like that helping y’all out 

It probably depends on the conditions given at the time the credit was issued. When I actually received the FCC on Nov 5, 2021, the email included this: "As an added level of comfort, if your Future Cruise Credit is unused by April 30, 2022, you will automatically receive a full refund equal to the original amount paid." The option to request a refund was given in both emails: cancellation and FCC arrival.

Because the conditions of my cancellation were NOT the conditions given when the FCC email arrived, I don't know what would have happened. I did book another cruise with 1K remaining which was refunded to my credit cards. It seems the conditions of the cancellation email, as far as compensation, in any case, were the actual conditions. 

On 6/9/2021 at 11:45 AM, cellfree said:

Got email this morning. It seems to imply that the “total” amount paid for the cruise will be made available and that MSC is not dividing out the taxes/fees and returning them to original form of payment. I hope I am reading it correctly. (Still waiting for taxes/fees to be returned from prior cancelled cruises, the days of the 125% cruise credit.)

I sure wish I had read this 2 months ago. It took me that long to realize that the cancellation letter I'd received (which is identical to what is shown in this thread) and the FCC credit letter I'd received had different info. The FCC credit letter referenced the 125% compensation with the taxes, fees, prepaid, etc refunded. I booked a cruise with the credit months ago, now I realize I didn't get the $200 compensation. I also didn't get the 2 $50 Voyagers Club 5+15% OBC. Back to the phone.

I, too, use the cabin pictures and videos to try to figure that out (we prefer the bed away from the balcony).  We didn't get to be on Seashore, but I have booked B2B on Grandiosa in the spring. On Grandiosa, it seems that if it's a non-family balcony that sleeps 4, the sofa (which becomes the bunk beds) is by the balcony. Some pics of balcony rooms with sofa sleeper for one also showed sofa by the balcony. I don't know if there are any sure ways of telling beyond that. Some of the cabins with no extra sleeping available, did show bed by the balcony, but it wasn't always the case. When I asked the phone agent about pullman locations for our booked cabins that sleep 4, she said "ceiling> rather than sofa bunk beds. 

9 hours ago, JAGR said:

I'm just worried about surviving the night in Miami pre-cruise!  We'll stick out like sore thumbs with our masks on!

You might be surprised at how many people in Miami wear masks. I was when we flew out of MIA for the Getaway TA and again when we returned to the port. Now where I live (very rural south  central FL), masks are (and always have been) scarce; however, at some point over the summer, wearing a mask seemed to no longer stick out like a sore thumb. Dec 23, we rode a very packed Red Coach back to Orlando (where mask wearing was, and to some degree still is, the norm), and except for the driver and two guys who boarded in the WBP area, everyone was wearing a mask. While in Florida (or anywhere in the US), you'll be very wise to take care of yourself. Don't concern yourself about others as many won't concern themselves about you. 

Have a great cruise. 

I had read from others that the fees, etc had been refunded.

I FINALLY figured out the deal with the Seashore TA MSC cancellation. The problem originated (no, not because it's MSC--well, maybe) because the info about compensation in the cancellation letter was different than the info in the FCC letter.

from Cancellation letter: (the BOLD is from MSC; highlights are mine)

GUEST COMPENSATION

That sounds like who I need to talk to. Did she send the new paperwork immediately? Does it show correctly online? Did she straighten out the FCC issues? 

9 hours ago, Shippy said:

   We cancelled our September 2021 cruise one week before sailing.

At the time we did that, we rebooked the same cruise for this year. It was almost $300. cheaper. That amount showed up on the new paperwork as OBC.

I was surprised to see that last month they actually refunded that amount to my credit card.

I'm really happy you got the extra returned. Without going to the OBC stage, that is what happened with the $999. difference between our cruises.

Because you canceled the cruise, the situation may have been different. It seems that you got what you were expecting--and then some. I feel you got what you should have if MSC did not specifically say what you would get. As MSC did not cancel the cruise, they made no "promises" to you about how the $ would be handled. 

9 hours ago, Fogfog said:

@Rhea98

 

What has your travel insurance said?

Was it a private company or with the cruise line?

If you do expect to get your premium back-- who did you use/recommend?

 

We had booked a very expensive trip with Regent --and because it was so hefty, I took out extra travel insurance on top of what was on my credit card...because the cc was capped a 10k pp coverage

When all of this was falling apart and that sailing was cancelled, the travel insurance declined to refund the premium even though we never embarked etc... They withheld it and said I could use it on a future trip (changed dates etc). 🙄

 

While we are traveling again soon, its not to the tune of what was in that initial cruise. So I haven't even tried to apply coverage elsewhere. I'd really just like my premium back which was expensive.  😞

 

I appreciate your response. 

It was a European cruise so it was the mandatory MSC insurance. I understand insurance would not be returned if, indeed, you have the policy and it pays off. I had just made the purchase one week before the cruise was canceled and had inquired about the paperwork. Like so many others booked on that cruise, we never received ANY responses from inquiries: phone; emails; I even sent a registered letter! I'd purchased flight insurance separately. Allianz said they would return it or transfer it. As we booked with NCL for Getaway TA, we just transferred that insurance to the new cruise. 

I would be happy to transfer the insurance to the cruise I've booked with the FCC except, I really don't have anything showing that insurance was purchased. I have the credit card charge of $426 on Sept 29. It simply says MSC cruises, but it was the insurance. I have no paperwork from MSC showing receipt of insurance except that "Details" page showed the sum of all purchases which included the $426. I have a screen shot of that sum which is also the amount MSC put as the FCC.

Also included in the cancellation email was a promise of "If your rebooked cruise is 7+ nights, you will receive $200 onboard credit per stateroom to use on your next cruise."  with a caveat related to having used an FCC when booking the cancelled cruise. I have the Voyagers+15 on each new cruise as well as the $50 ($100 as we are both Diamond) that accompanies that deal. No sign of $200 OBC. 

I currently have two B2B cruises (11 & 14 nights) booked on Grandiosa for end of April through May in Europe. Both may still be canceled. I have the flights to Italy booked but they qualify for ecredits. Return flights not booked. I know what MSC says in their emails re cancellation/compensation. What I don't know is what they really do which is why I asked if anyone had received the "promised" refund on fees, taxes, and other pre-paid services.

I'd spent an hour and a half on the phone with an agent trying to get this figured out. She was able to explain the two separate refunds. Beyond that, she tried to assure me that MSC wanted us (anyone) as customers so they would not hold money that belongs to us (alienate us). Basically, she was trying to assure me that MSC would not cheat its customers. FWIW, she was extremely patient and seemed to try to get to the bottom of my concerns. Obviously, she did not.

I booked a cruise on the FCC from the Seashore TA cancellation. There was $999. remaining which I thought I would use for insurance and gratuities (cruise is in May). This $999. turned up in two of my cc accounts:  About $802 on the one I'd put the cruise and gratuities on plus $198 on the one I'd put the $426 insurance money on.  When I saw the $$ on my accts, I was trying to figure out how it was part of this:

This credit can be applied, at the time of booking, toward stateroom upgrades, specialty dining, beverage packages, spa treatments and more. (It excludes government taxes & fees and prepaid items on your original booking, which will be refunded separately to the original form of payment within 60 days.)

I called and discovered that it was the remainder of the FCC amount stated in my email. The FCC was issued on Nov 5, 2021. I'm still waiting for this. I am in the process of requesting a credit back for the insurance money--esp as I never received the insurance policy--never received the product. After that, I'll see if the $640 (fees for 2) and the $384 (gratuities for 2) get refunded. Without at least some of this being refunded, the FCC was not the 125% MSC says it gave. 

This is a mess, as far as I'm concerned. The only other FCC I'd had from MSC was based on a deposit only. The extra 25% was included. 

Has anyone actually received the "government taxes & fees and prepaid items on your original booking"  on a canceled booking?

Just in case things don't go as planned (such as MSC canceling), book with a travel agent who can deal with the mess. Don't get me wrong, I've booked two more cruises with them (N. Europe this spring) after the Seashore Transatlantic cancellation 3 weeks before sailing. The FCC came around faster than promised, but no refund of pre-paid gratuities, insurance, or taxes/port fees 3 mos later. You'll love the cruise (our first was 21 days N Europe in an inside--so no YC, here) once you are onboard and actually cruising. Most of our cruising has been with NCL--which we love. We booked Getaway TA after the MSC transatlantic fell through. The prices had dropped quite a lot so we could afford it despite so much of our funds being tied up by MSC. We loved the trip, and though we didn't get quite as much for the $$ as MSC had offered, we got the cruise! 

I really appreciate all the responses.