RedgeToo

I'm a bit older than you, well more than a bit. In fact, I'm the generation you're trying to avoid 

Last September, I cruised the Med with Princess out of Barcelona.

Princess was pretty good with meet-ups for both straight and LBGQT+MGBGT people.

At the meet-ups, I met some lovely people aged from 22 to 70m with the 70-year-old lady able to dance the night away long after the youngsters had gone to bed.

I'm naturally gregarious so I don't have a problem laughing and joking with strangers of any age. and kept in touch with a 22-year-old man from America for a short while and a 28-year-old woman from Ireland who I still talk to.

Enjoy your cruise.

4 hours ago, RedgeToo said:

20th October 2023, MSC round trip Southampton

 

Just this moment booked Celestyal Cruises round trip from Athens on 9th March 2024, including 5 excursions to the Pyramids, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Limassol and Curium, Lindos and the Citadel of Knights, and Ephesus.

 

:) 

Should have been Celestyal Cruises - bloody autocorrect, it's my worst enema!

26 minutes ago, shadow 123 said:

OMG! Sounds wonderful have a great time

Cheers!

20th October 2023, MSC round trip Southampton

Just this moment booked Crystal Cruises round trip from Athens on 9th March 2024, including 5 excursions to the Pyramids, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Limassol and Curium, Lindos and the Citadel of Knights, and Ephesus.

:) 

19 minutes ago, Twogaterz said:

Thanks. I arrive at BCN (Barcelona’s main airport) sailing from Barcelona.

Great

This is easy :)

A taxi is €39 each way - cash or card. It's a fixed price and doesn't take long. There are a lot of taxis at the airport and it's even possible to share if you can find someone going to the cruise port.

There are other cheaper ways, but this is the easiest way if you are anxious.

My top tips:

Go to the solo meet-up if there is one

Always tell the MDR staff, you're happy to share

People are more than happy for you to sit with them and talk

Most of all - enjoy!

Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

20 minutes ago, Twogaterz said:

I finally managed to book a solo cruise yesterday after initially being rejected (it seems some cruise lines have a limit on the number of solo travellers). My agent was shocked when she couldn’t book me and I took to Twitter…. Strangely a few hours later she could book my trip which starts in less than a week. A very last minute decision to travel and whilst it is my first totally solo cruise since my husband died in 2019, I have cruised since with my son. He is very disabled so at times it is like being on your own but I did love the way people at adjacent tables would start to chat. I hadn’t really thought through the whole dining alone bit and I’ll just take things as they come. I am more anxious about getting from the airport to the terminal as I booked too late to get transfers arranged. The last cruise I took with my late husband was on this line, and it was the best we ever had so I am hoping that the brand still delivers although realise that all lines have changed post pandemic. Just hope I don’t catch anything to spoil the trip!

First of all, congratulations on taking the plunge.

Could you tell us which airport you arrive in and which port you sail from, and I'll do a little digging

DM me if you prefer

MSC are notorious for poor customer service, so much so that I've decided never to sail with them again despite their solo-friendly prices.

I had a similar issue with them around the same time as you and finally received my money at the end of February.

My advice is as follows:

1. Don't give up. MSC should not be allowed to keep your money
2. Email customer services and/or your travel agent every week. Keep any responses in case you need to use them.
3. Direct message the CEO via email if you can find the address or, as I did via Farcebook. The caveat here is that you must find the CEO details for your particular country. In my case, I'd booked via Germany so I DM'd Christian Hein the CEO of MSC Germany. I did this every week just to annoy him.
4. Don't give up.

I got my money back but it took 3 months of constant badgering MSC, the CEO of MSC Germany, and my TA.

You can do it too.

Best of luck, and please let us know how you get on.

WOW!

Only 3 months later and I've finally got my money back!

On 2/16/2023 at 5:27 PM, KennyFla said:

Pretty much everybody on this site has experienced problems with MSC's customer service or IT department.  I was just screwed out of $50 OBC because I clicked the wrong button for a cruise next January.  I think you can summarize MSC as:

 

Onboard = Excellent.

Onland = Sucks.

 

But we all still cruise MSC.

I won't be cruising with MSC after my October cruise. If I could cancel that one without losing my deposit, I would

Quick update.

Despite promises, MSC has still not refunded my money.

I've messaged Christian Hein 3 times with no response.

Dreadful customer services.

6 hours ago, sunsetjewel63 said:

I don't believe that the Princess line organises anything for solo cruises. 

I did my first Princess cruise last September in the Med.

There was an unhosted solo meet-up every evening which was advertised in the daily planner. Ages varied from 22 to 70, and numbers from 6 to 12

15 hours ago, Xwordgal said:

I have read quite a few of your posts, and you seem quite well traveled. I’m not sure if I’ve seen you comment on Holland America Cruises and whether you like them or not. I’m doing a B2B on the Nieuw Amsterdam on 2/5 & 2/12. I am a widow and I have done approximately.6 solo trips (and while my late husband was alive, we did approximately 10 together ). 

While I enjoyed traveling with my late husband, I have found a certain almost undefinable, sense of freedom and leisure traveling solo. No matter how many cruises I’ve been on, I have such a child like attitude about them. From the moment I plan a cruise, even though it might be one year away, I drag out my suitcase, and start filling it!  I am like a child going to Disneyland the first time and the 30th!!  
 

That's very kind of you to say.

I've cruised for over 30 years, but never with HAL. I must try them sometime, but not this year, I already have my March, October, and Christmas cruises booked.

I'm the same. Whenever I book a cruise, I have to start planning the trip to the airport, hotel, parking, where I'll go ashore... you get the picture.

Everything goes into a spreadsheet showing where I'm flying from and to, where I'm staying, which ports and on what dates, and, of course, the cost. It's all colour coded too! 🤣🤣🤣

Planning is part of the pleasure :)

21 minutes ago, Kevin308 said:

 

Sounds like you need a better Travel agent if it takes the agent 10-16 weeks to get an answer.

Good point

My TA isn't at fault, MSC are at fault for not refunding the money as agreed between my TA and MSC

Interestingly, I chased MSC yesterday and contacted the CEO and the response I got was:

The refund is currently in process. Due to the immense effort involved in reimbursement all affected bookings we ask for your patience and understanding that refunds currently taking more time.

Makes me think there is more than just me that's been overcharged

5 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

What you have to ask is how long until they receive a response when it is not "normally"?

I'm not sure there is anything normal about MSC customer services

7 hours ago, 8420PR said:

Resolving these issues should be exactly what you hold the TA accountable for!  Otherwise what are they doing for their 16% commission?

 

Some examples from my experience: 

example 1:  For a cruise cancelled by MSC on 27th Sept, the refund was received on my credit card on 18th November.  This was booked directly with MSC.

example 2:  I realized I had overpaid for a cruise (the voyagers club discount was not included) on 16th December, and the refund was received on my card on the 5th January.  This was booked with (and paid to) a travel agent.

I agree.

My TA told me they normally received a response from MSC between 10-16 weeks

14 minutes ago, RedgeToo said:

Thank you, I've already emailed the German customer services. If anyone has Hein's email address I'd be very grateful

 

DM please

It's ok, I found a way of contacting the CEO

Thanks for the idea

9 hours ago, kernow said:

A quick google shows the Managing director for MSC Germany is Christian Hein, why not try emailing his office. As mentioned already it always works with the UK office for anything serious.

Thank you, I've already emailed the German customer services. If anyone has Hein's email address I'd be very grateful

DM please

10 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

If you made the mistake and over paid, technically MSC didn't steal your money. They just accepted the extra... 🙂  Anyhooo, I agree with other posters who say that once you get off the ship you have very little recourse.  I would have pushed the issue during the cruise.

I am wondering, however, if any of the issue has to do with you booking through the German site.  Are you in Germany? 

Good point, although technically MSC invoiced me too much. The mistake I made was not checking the invoice

The issue has nothing to do with booking through a German website. I have nothing but praise for my online TA. If MSC take 10-16 weeks to respond to the TA, what can they do?

BTW, I appreciate all advice/ help from all commenters

1 minute ago, emmas gran said:

The OP still hasn't said where his TA is all he states is ****.com and booking is through MSC Germany!!

His profile says he is UK, 

It seems I am not allowed to state who my TA is due to CC rules - fair enough

They are a well-known, online, purveyor of cruises that I have used several times with no issues. The TA is based in Germany and I've never had an issue with the TA, quite the opposite

9 minutes ago, ciskadeg said:

We paid the excursions for our upcoming cruise twice. I called MSC 3 times and every time they will send an email to get the money back to our credit card. It's been a month now and still no refund on our credit card☺️ I keep calling till we get it back😡 

It'll cost you more in phones calls!

It's a shame really because I like the MSC offering, if only they advertised solo meet ups in their daily calendar it would be great

As things stand, I'll not be an MSC regular

21 hours ago, emmas gran said:

I’m confused as to your booking through MSC Germany, where is your T A? I doubt Antonio can help as he deals with MSC UK

I use *****.com as they have really good prices for solos. As such ***** is my TA.

MSC, however, insist that ***** users pay MSC direct - don't ask me why I don't know.

I paid my deposit and my final invoice directly to MSC as required by MSC. I then spotted I'd been overcharged (yes, I should have checked before paying the invoice but I wasn't expecting to be overcharged by a big company).

I wrote to my TA to say I'd been overcharged and my TA wrote to MSC. MSC wrote back within a couple of days and confirmed they had overcharged me and gave me the choice of OBC or a refund of the overcharge to my credit card.

I chose my credit card and MSC confirmed via my TA that the refund would take place on 24th December 2022.

The refund didn't happen

I wrote to my TA and to MSC saying I didn't receive my refund

My TA wrote back saying they had also written to MSC and MSC usually responds between 10-16 weeks!

Is that clearer?

2 minutes ago, haolenate said:

Seems like a very bad experience for you - especially if it takes you THAT long to reach your travel agent.   I wish I could help - in the States, MSC has made a "wall" between them and Italy, and we have a good relationship with the US team and things tend to be a bit more smoother.   But I can tell you the amount of bureaucratic vomit MSC makes us go thru isn't pleasant.

I wish I could give you more advice, but knowing 1. Germans over-engineer everything and love their processes and 2. the Italian office tends to work on "their" time --- it may be a bit before you see anything.

 

And fwiw, I'm still waiting, 5 months, for a promised refund from Holland America from issues in August.  

Thanks,

The TA isn't an issue, I'd book with them again, it's MSC who are expected to respond in 10-16 weeks

9 minutes ago, Nikita4 said:

Not a refund to the credit card but a refund to your board account. We always receive the refund on the ship to the board account.
Only the refund of the April 2020 cruise we received back tot the credit card, but it was some thousands of Euros.
You speak of 100 Dollars, that ist not a lot. Wait some weeks and the next time you have to react direkt on board with your account.

MSC offered the refund to my credit card or OBC

I chose my credit card as I already had my packages booked and paid for

1 hour ago, Nikita4 said:

You must solve the problem on the ship, then you have a refund within some hours. After the cruise its to late. Is nessecary to control den bill on bord an solve the problems on board.

All our canceld oder changed excursions we have a refund within 12 hours on the ship. The concierge made all things for us, also the money from the visas we get back within 12 hours.
I never had problems with MSC an refund, also for the canceled April 2020 cruise, we had a refund within some weeks. But we always are in den YC.

MSC had promised the refund would be made to my credit card prior to the day I embarked in Barcelona on 24th December 2022.

An electronic refund should be practically instantaneous, subject to banks holding onto the cash for a few days so they can extract their pound of flesh.

I left it for 17 days before posting this.