Just cancelled my first MSC cruise due to misleading ad

The use of the plus sign in the attached ad graphic is entirely misleading.

MSC claims the the words "up to" pertains to the entire boxed text, not the amount of OBC, even though a plus sign indicates "in addition to".

Even the $49 deposit has a plus sign, so their argument is weak at best.

So no, my inside only comes with $50 OBC and a $49 deposit...forget the plus signs.

I've cancelled and am sticking with Princess.

What do they mean?

Do they mean

PLUS UP TO 150 USD onboard credit and free wifi package and free drinks package and only 49 USD per person deposition?

If that's what they mean my understanding is that only the most expensive cabins get everything and the cheaper cabins get only some things. For me that's what PLUS UP TO means.

I dont feel that it's entirely misleading but obviously it's not very clear to me since I am not sure what they mean!

You cancelled a booked cruise, right? Didnt you got the information when you booked?

Didnt you got the information when you booked?

Even my agent was confused by the wording, and only so much shows up on their booking screen.

Since I got the $49 Deposit, and that had a plus sign in front of it, it appears that they are using it to mean, "in addition to", but they are not.

Intentional or not, it's poorly designed, confusing and misleading.

I would never book something purely on advertising and would do a bit more research before taking the leap to book. Any agent should do the same.

I'm sorry this ad seemed to have misled you. IMHO, you might be letting an awesome experience slip through your hands because of something pretty minor.

Happy cruising.

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I agree it is a poorly designed ad and is very misleading the way I read that is you can get OBC up to $150 which also means you could get no OBC - but it also tells me that it includes everything else

I received the email with that same ad. When you click on the ad, it takes you to a page on their their site where this is prominently displayed:

I don't believe MSC's advertisements are any more misleading than other lines'.

However, if you feel deceived, you certainly have the right to look elsewhere (and pay a lot more)

~Brian

I agree it is a poorly designed ad and is very misleading the way I read that is you can get OBC up to $150 which also means you could get no OBC - but it also tells me that it includes everything else

That is exactly what it means and there is no reason to believe otherwise.

It certainly doesn't mean that different cabin types get different add-ons.

Somebody, who designed the ad, needs a lesson in English with the main element Grammar

Pete

<snipped> if you feel deceived, you certainly have the right to look elsewhere (and pay a lot more)

 

~Brian

Totally agree. To each his own.

Even my agent was confused by the wording, and only so much shows up on their booking screen.

 

Since I got the $49 Deposit, and that had a plus sign in front of it, it appears that they are using it to mean, "in addition to", but they are not.

Intentional or not, it's poorly designed, confusing and misleading.

I agree that it's poorly designed and confusing.

If the agent was confused they should have checked it for you.

if you feel deceived, you certainly have the right to look elsewhere (and pay a lot more)

 

~Brian

Thanks, but actually, the pricing on Princess is much better.

MSC wants $939 for a balcony, I've paid $539 for a balcony on the Regal.

I've also paid as little as $259 for a balcony on Princess.

I hope for MSC's sake that they change the wording of their ads.

I know they have big plans to grow in this market, but small things like this can affect one's market-share more than you'd think.

Thanks, but actually, the pricing on Princess is much better.

MSC wants $939 for a balcony, I've paid $539 for a balcony on the Regal.

I've also paid as little as $259 for a balcony on Princess.

 

I hope for MSC's sake that they change the wording of their ads.

I know they have big plans to grow in this market, but small things like this can affect one's market-share more than you'd think.

Can we have a link for $539.00 balcony on princess

Thanks, but actually, the pricing on Princess is much better.

MSC wants $939 for a balcony, I've paid $539 for a balcony on the Regal.

I've also paid as little as $259 for a balcony on Princess.

 

I hope for MSC's sake that they change the wording of their ads.

I know they have big plans to grow in this market, but small things like this can affect one's market-share more than you'd think.

Absolutely! Three yrs. ago their rep at the Meet & Greet emphasized that MSC was new to this market and give it time to improve. Here we are 3 yrs. later and they still haven't cleaned up their act. I don't think that the big wigs in Italy get it. Anyway, I had a deposit down on a cheap cruise but after my first cruise I cancelled it. I think you are lucky to get out while the getting is good. And take it from me, MSC no way, no how compares with Princess if you aren't sailing Yacht Club class.

Can we have a link for $539.00 balcony on princess

Do your homework on **********, and look at price histories, and you'll find plenty!

Current balcony prices on the Regal are slightly over $700, but still priced better than MSC.

It's only misleading if you want to take the easy way out and don't read the fine print. It's your choice and your own decision.

Absolutely! Three yrs. ago their rep at the Meet & Greet emphasized that MSC was new to this market and give it time to improve. Here we are 3 yrs. later and they still haven't cleaned up their act. I don't think that the big wigs in Italy get it. Anyway, I had a deposit down on a cheap cruise but after my first cruise I cancelled it. I think you are lucky to get out while the getting is good. And take it from me, MSC no way, no how compares with Princess if you aren't sailing Yacht Club class.

I am sailing on my 1st MSC cruise in March, willing to give something new a try. I have sailed Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Princess. And Princess is my least favorite of them all. So goes to show, to each his own.

All cruise lines do the same thing, including Princess. Quite often Princess will offer a 50 credit on an inside, but 150 on balconies. The higher price you pay the more benefits you get. Pretty much the same everywhere. Just seems to be in inability to actually read the full information provided.

I agree it's somewhat confusing but I read the fine print so I didn't think it was a big deal. They should have put asterisks on the free drink and WiFi lines. Their web page for the sale does have an asterisk.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Top-Deals/MSC-Seaside-Sale.aspx

What initially bothered me about the offer was that while balconies got the drink package, suites did not. That seemed strange. However, it turns out that it's only the mealtime drink package, which is pretty crappy ("Unlimited wine (a choice of 2 white, 2 red and 1 rosé house brands), mineral water, draft beer, sodas and fruit juices during lunch and dinner."). And it turns out that as of the middle of this year, everyone booking Fantastica gets a drink package of 12 drinks per cruise, and a much better selection, and anytime you want. So I'm fine not getting the free drink package.

What do they mean?

 

Do they mean

 

PLUS UP TO 150 USD onboard credit and free wifi package and free drinks package and only 49 USD per person deposition?

 

If that's what they mean my understanding is that only the most expensive cabins get everything and the cheaper cabins get only some things. For me that's what PLUS UP TO means.

 

I dont feel that it's entirely misleading but obviously it's not very clear to me since I am not sure what they mean!

 

You cancelled a booked cruise, right? Didnt you got the information when you booked?

You are correct.

PLUS UP TO 150 USD onboard credit and free wifi package and free drinks package and only 49 USD per person deposition?

 

If that's what they mean my understanding is that only the most expensive cabins get everything and the cheaper cabins get only some things. For me that's what PLUS UP TO means.

But that isn't even true since balconies got drinks + WiFi and only $50 OBC while suites only got Wifi (albeit with the $150 OBC). Now, the codes below ending in 3 are the Aurea package and YC is Yacht Club and those include drinks, so I guess not having the drink package makes sense. But S2 is the Suite Fantastica, and it doesn't (but Fantastica does have the 12 vouchers), while the corresponding balcony level does have the drink package.

Here's the fine print.

VALUE ADDED AMENITIES INCLUDED:

I1, I2, IW: $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom; O1, O2, OW: $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom PLUS Surfer WiFi;

B1, B2, BW: $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom PLUS Surfer WiFi & Mealtime Restaurant Drink Package;

B3, S2, S3, SE3, YIN, YC1, YC3: $150 Onboard Credit per stateroom Ship Board Credit PLUS Surfer Wifi.

Oh, and I found this press release and they don't even mention the S2 situation, which makes me think that they forgot about it (suite level but no drink package included).

http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7807951-countdown-to-msc-seaside/

Even my agent was confused by the wording, and only so much shows up on their booking screen.

 

Since I got the $49 Deposit, and that had a plus sign in front of it, it appears that they are using it to mean, "in addition to", but they are not.

Intentional or not, it's poorly designed, confusing and misleading.

You are wrong and your agent is not very good because the + means that you will get more OBC when you book a higher category. You are not going to get the top OBC with an inside room. How would you feel if you book the YC and got $150 OBC and the person with an inside room got the same amount????

You are wrong and your agent is not very good because the + means that you will get more OBC when you book a higher category. You are not going to get the top OBC with an inside room. How would you feel if you book the YC and got $150 OBC and the person with an inside room got the same amount????

No, I fully understood that I was only getting $50 OBC for booking an inside, but the way the wording of the ad also led me to believe that I was getting free wifi, and the mealtime drink package.

See how confusing it can be....your take on it is entirely different!

And...my agent is excellent, thank you.

He booked this at the end of the business day, without reading the fine print. He actually gave me a slightly better price than advertised.

You are wrong and your agent is not very good because the + means that you will get more OBC when you book a higher category. You are not going to get the top OBC with an inside room. How would you feel if you book the YC and got $150 OBC and the person with an inside room got the same amount????

No, you're wrong. The OP stated that they knew full well that the OBC was "UPTO" $150 and was dependant on cabin grade. The + sign had nothing to do with OBC, just the additional items - which had no qualifier! No asterisk, no "UPTO", nothing until you clicked and went into the detail.

This is a very poorly worded add and the argument can be made that it is click bait, but one would hope that most people would check the detail before booking.

 

This is a very poorly worded add and the argument can be made that it is click bait, but one would hope that most people would check the detail before booking.

There's a saying I like to pull out for times like this "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" (substitute incompetence for stupidity if you want).

If anything, they wanted people to book the better cabins to get more perks, not a lesser cabin.

There's a saying I like to pull out for times like this "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" (substitute incompetence for stupidity if you want).

 

If anything, they wanted people to book the better cabins to get more perks, not a lesser cabin.

Hi,

You're 100% right.

But I should point out that I don't think of it as “malicious” even if it was intended as click-bait.

Maybe we could put it down to "Italian English" - Lost in translation somehow and apart from the normal add-speak, such as;

Prices from = quad cabin, inside, under the night club, if you booked yesterday.

OBC UPTO = for cabin I'd need to sell two kidneys to book.

Have fun!