alyssamma

Ah...ok, when you say "internet" you mean through a TA, right? In that case you still book on board and then transfer to the TA of your choice...and get both the TA OBC and MSC OBC for early booking.

Don't you get the same deal on board + extra OBC? I get that by the time you're on board a certain sale may not be happening, but at any given time you should get the same deal on and off board, but on board should give extra OBC.

Yeah, it just took a min of my time each day and it was more the principle than anything else 🙂

I emailed them daily (just copy/paste) for a month (maybe 5 weeks) and it finally got changed.

Call and ask for OBC to offset the discount

Gotcha...so are you saying you're within penalty phase? So past the final payment date?

Call back again and try to get a different rep...that sometimes works. You might also try to cancel and rebook if you aren't in penalty phase. That being said, in general, always wait until the last moment to make final payment.

Welcome to MSC...have definitely seen this before. Whatever rate or code you booked with initially wasn't copied over correctly (MSCs fault, not yours). Good news, this can be fixed. Bad news it will take a lot of effort unless you happen to luck up and get a good rep quickly. If your TA is good then they'll do this for you. If not, you'll need to pressure them and MSC

Emphasis added by me... 50% DISCOUNT ON THE F1 SIMULATOR: Buy 2 tickets for movies in the 4D cinema, valid for Classic, Silver, Gold and Diamond card holders only on the current cruise. It can be combined with any other offer. The 4D Cinema receipt must be presented to take advantage of the discount. Valid for one transaction only. Not available to members under 18 years of age

I don't believe any can hold this amount, but the size varies by ship.

I think the issue is... 1) Other cruise lines don't work this way and... 2) This isn't stated anywhere... @Ken the cruiser only knows because he called in and asked a rep.

Wasn't trying to be snarky...was an honest question. A simply google search yields results...in this case, a 50% discount. I found this, and more, on the MSC site. Here's a link. When it opens if you search for F1 you'll see the discount... https://www.msccruisesusa.com/-/media/US/Documents/voyagers_club_terms_and_conditions_eng_060123

I need to step back and rethink my entire GC strategy. It kind of sucks because for expensive cruises you can save a lot. Your $15K would be $1500 in savings, for example. But now I'm confused about X specifically and trip insurance in general and wondering what I want to do going forward. Even though the "math" is in my favor, the irrational part of my mind would go crazy if I lost my cruise fare.

So this is the rub. What is the truth? It also seems confusing about getting a refund (from trip insurance) if you have to cancel the cruise.

I suspect the rep was misinformed. The way other lines do it is they issue a new GC for the amount that you paid with a GC. I think the rep confused not refunding to the *original* GC with not refunding to a *new* GC

To close the loop on what @NorthStarStateCruiser said. First, thanks for bringing this up. Good to know this is potentially an issue people may run into. Although I was pretty sure my contract didn't say anything about gift cards (it *does* exclude *certificates* which, like coupons or FF miles don't have a cash value (or a very small one)), I decided to make some calls. Of course, the rep telling you one thing before you buy the policy doesn't mean they will tell you the same thing afterwards 🙂 TravelGuard said as long as there is a monetary value, you will be reimbursed. So, in the case of AARP, you'll pay $450, get a $500 credit, but only $450 would be reimbursed. NW wasn't sure. They did ask some more questions and wanted to make sure we could prove we bought them. They also wanted to make sure the GC were for the specific cruiseline.Ultimately they said if we can't prove we used it to pay for the cruise, they wouldn't cover it, but if we could then they would. Not sure what would constitute "proof" Hopefully I'll never need to find out 🙂 Edit: Based on @Ken the cruiser's last post, maybe TG wouldn't reimburse either as they seem to not have a cash value...

Wow...thanks so much for this! This explains something that my TA has been trying to figure out. I gave him $1K Sat and "only" $800 was applied...but they amount I owe decreased by $1K. It seems like you've figured it out. As for the refund...wow. Not sure how that is legal, especially since it isn't in the T&C.

Yes, we chose Germany because we wanted to spend a day in CPH. Hotels are insanely expensive there, so visiting on a cruise appeals to us. I see you started a roll call for CPH. I think the problem is, with these sailings, people board different dates so makes a roll call a little difficult. Regardless, will def see you if you book 🙂

9/12...leaving from Warnemunde...where are you boarding? It's a really unique itinerary so I couldn't pass it up...

Making myself a note now. I'm old and will forget otherwise 🙂 I hope I like it because I also booked a Sept 2024 cruise on her...

I'm sailing Poesia next month...thanks so much for this detailed review!

Did you look at MSC's site to see what you get?

You most likely need to call in for that. Carnival is the only line I've seen that lets you (easily) apply GC online.

Not sure it has anything to do with using or not using a TA. I personally always use a TA for cruises. But if I haven't made a final payment it is easier to refare and/or take advantage of price drops. As for gift cards...I think that depends on your policy. Of course, I'll never know for sure until I have to use it, but my insurance states they cover GCs so long as you can show they were used to pay for the cruise. Again, until I have to make a claim, who knows. That being said, I buy trip insurance mainly for medical - especially today. Most airfare can be canceled for a credit. I've had to make 2 claims so far with NW and the process, though detailed, was relatively painless. Worst case, it isn't covered...I am still ahead with how much I've saved by using gift cards. So it makes sense in my case to keep using them.YMMV.

I've found that making final payment in advance complicates things if there is a price drop (or you need to change the cruise for any reason).