Book through MSC or TA? US vs. UK prices & Service?

[CarolinaMamma]

We are going to have to make our booking by phone, because we have 3 kids and need 2 rooms right next to each other.

 

I have looked at MSC's website and am not impressed, especially on my iPad. Is their live customer service as bad as their website? Would I get better service from a TA?

 

Also, is there any difference between US and UK prices or customer service? We are Americans, temporarily living in Europe on a work assignment, but still have our house in the US and a US phone number and billing address, so I could probably book through either place. Our credit card reams us on exchange rates, so I would rather pay in dollars if all other things are equal.

 

Thanks for your help and advice.

[sthelder]

Personally not impressed by MSC US on-line customer service officers, you would be lucky to be able to start a chat with them. And was once asked to call them (not even bothering to offer to call me), cut off from live chat abruptly another time.

 

Not sure about UK.

 

Non sales US prices should be more favourable to UK's. But if you are pretty confirm on your holiday time or location, you may get a very good deal when either US or UK goes on sales.

 

Apparently, the respective country's official site will auto-detect your IP address and won't allow you to place booking on-line if you happen to log-on in a foreign country.

 

As such, I personally prefer to get a TA to help me dealing with my first MSC booking (supposed to make a second booking yesterday, but I delayed for a few days, and was informed no more balcony for 3 for the cruise date I am looking at).

[CarolinaMamma]

Yes, I am having that IP address problem. I can't even get US prices from the msc site. Drives me nuts, because I am a US citizen, and taxoayer! I CAN get US prices through an online TA though. Wondering if I should call that TA instead of msc customer service.

 

As I said, we always have to book by phone because we are five people, so I am not going to be able to do it online regardless. I just like to be able to check prices and cabin availability before talking to someone. Their website makes that extremely difficult.

[sthelder]

I think it's a policy that online TAs should offer same cruise-only prices as the cruiselines.

 

For price information, probably can just check on-line. For cabin availability, you may need to speak to customer service personnel to get information on those cabins that may not readily shown on-line.

[earn]

The IP address thing is true for RCCL too, but I have managed to get US prices for Carnival cruises in the past. I have used US TAs to get prices in the past and compare with UK and to be honest the best deal can be from either. MSC's website is horrible, but they provide good support in the UK at least through their facebook page. If you DM them or leave a note or their wall, they will get back to you very quickly.

 

For the UK at least you will get the same price from MSC as your TA (as of a month or so ago), but you might gets part tips paid or some OBC from the TA. So, if I was you I would contact a UK TA to get a price and availability and do the same with one in the US. Then go compare!

[Pluto_fan]

We are also a famiy of five, and also Americans living abroad (we're in Belgium). We have booked both our MSC cruises through an online travel agent in the US. However, it might be worth your time to check as many sources as you can...US travel agent (price will be the same as if you book through MSC USA), UK website and/or phone, possibly a UK travel agent. Different countries are offered different deals and different terms and conditions. Sometimes one has a better price for the particular cruise you want. The "kids free" restrictions are also different--the US offers it for kids 11 and younger, and I think the European version is for 17 and under; not sure about UK. Of course with two cabins we have to pay full price for four people, but if your youngest child meets one restriction but not the other, that might make a difference (although 3rd person in cabin fare isn't that much anyway).

 

We used to be able to get all the way through the booking process on MSC USA's website (though we now are blocked by the IP issue), and for what it's worth, it does allow booking two cabins at once. I've also tried their Italian website, and you can book two cabins at once there. So give it a try on the UK site.

 

Let us know what you learn! I'm always looking for the best way to do this. :)

[sidari]

All UK travel agents have now been stopped from offering discounts on all of the cruise lines, so no matter if you book with MSC or a travel agent here you will get the same price regardless of cabin. Some may offer to pay for tips or part of them with RCI, others may give something else.

 

You could maybe try ringing the UK numbers and see what sort of deal you can get that way ?

[canny_cruiser]

All UK travel agents have now been stopped from offering discounts on all of the cruise lines, so no matter if you book with MSC or a travel agent here you will get the same price regardless of cabin.

I've recently had the experience of the TA saying my MSC club discount was not applicable to the special fare but when I rang MSC UK for a quote, they applied it . Still haven' found out if the TA was telling porkies or if MSC made a misatke.

[sidari]

cannycruiser .... regardless of if you book with MSC or a Travel Agent you are entitled to any club discount for the level you are at, otherwise what would be the point of being a club member ?

 

I would go with the fact that the Travel Agent was telling Porkies ...:mad:

[GOLDENBONNY]

I think it's a policy that online TAs should offer same cruise-only prices as the cruiselines.

 

For price information, probably can just check on-line. For cabin availability, you may need to speak to customer service personnel to get information on those cabins that may not readily shown on-line.

 

 

no its not.I alwas get better price from online TA

[GOLDENBONNY]

Personally not impressed by MSC US on-line customer service officers, you would be lucky to be able to start a chat with them. And was once asked to call them (not even bothering to offer to call me), cut off from live chat abruptly another time.

 

Not sure about UK.

 

Non sales US prices should be more favourable to UK's. But if you are pretty confirm on your holiday time or location, you may get a very good deal when either US or UK goes on sales.

 

Apparently, the respective country's official site will auto-detect your IP address and won't allow you to place booking on-line if you happen to log-on in a foreign country.

 

As such, I personally prefer to get a TA to help me dealing with my first MSC booking (supposed to make a second booking yesterday, but I delayed for a few days, and was informed no more balcony for 3 for the cruise date I am looking at).

 

Never had problem to chat online in USA

[quattrohead]

See if you can get hold of Dominique, she has always been very helpful to us.

Yes the 2 email addresses are different, just an MSC thing lol

 

Dominique McGill | Personal Vacation Consultant

6750 N. Andrews Avenue Suite 100 | Ft. Lauderdale | FL | 33309

(954) 958-1068 | dmcgill@msccruisesusa.com | 877.203.5429

Dominique McGill [dominique.mcgill@msccruisesusa.com]

[neptuno]

I've recently had the experience of the TA saying my MSC club discount was not applicable to the special fare but when I rang MSC UK for a quote, they applied it . Still haven' found out if the TA was telling porkies or if MSC made a misatke.

 

Currently booking our fourth MSC cruise, formerly two with TA, one with MSC direct. TA does not honor Silver discount here in US, says their rates are too low, which can be true. Other times MSC has beat the TA prices. So, there is no simple answer except shop and compare. btw, we highly recommend MSC caribbean, even now that they have become more "Americanized".

[CarolinaMamma]

Well, for what it's worth, I called both a large online TA and MSC. prices were almost exactly identical, but the MSC rep was much more competent than the online TA rep, who could not pronounce words like "Tunisia.."

 

I am still glad I went and looked at cabin availability is the online TA first, because the MSC rep was like, "Your best bet is going to be in the front of the ship," and I said, "No, let me tell you which two cabins I want.." I don't know why they never seem to offer the cabins I would pick myself.

 

So we are sailing on Preziosa March 31. Got the Allegrissimo 24 hour non-premium drinks package for the whole family. Thought about the premium, but that would have been an extra $800 for the 5 of us, and we don't drink enough to make that worthwhile.

 

We are super excited, but have a lot of planning to do in the next 3 weeks!

[Pluto_fan]

Congratulations! We'll be in Genoa the day after you, to board the Opera. :)

 

So did you call MSC USA or MSC UK?

[sidari]

neptuno ... My understanding from other American cruisers is that travel agents there no longer give discounts on the cruise price ? but offset that with things like onboard credit or something else ?

 

It may be worth writing to MSC and asking them to honour your club discount.

[canny_cruiser]

TA does not honor Silver discount here in US, says their rates are too low, which can be true. Other times MSC has beat the TA prices.

This is my experience here in the UK too.

[AmoMondo]

This is my experience here in the UK too.

 

I used to have the same problem when I booked with a TA. Now I book direct with MSC and always get my 20% discount.

[sidari]

Amomondo ... Did you have the problem with one of the big travel agents or small ones?

[AmoMondo]

Think they are reasonably large. They are based up here but are an online and phone service. They sometimes let me have it and others times saying I didn't qualify because it was a promotional price. Who knows, perhaps that was true and MSC have changed their policy now.

[travelberlin]

I used to have the same problem when I booked with a TA. Now I book direct with MSC and always get my 20% discount.

 

How do you book direct with MSC? Here in South America the web page from MSC is the most unfriendly I have ever seen. We are not able to do any booking online. We are not able to do check in nline either!

[vkuehne]

I can only warn of booking with MSC directly. I did that last year in July here in Germany and it was a big mistake. I booked and paid 100% by credit card. Apparently the website was buggy and the price wasn't correct. MSC Germany then tried to get the price adjusted in Italy, but never got authorization.

 

And, to make matters worse, someone in the Italian offices is blocking the refund of my money. German office cannot do anything, so now I've been waiting for over 7 months to get my money back.

 

I can't say that booking through TAs can't result in problems...but until local offices have authority to actually deal with problems their clients face, I would stay away from booking with MSC directly.

[canny_cruiser]

......others times saying I didn't qualify because it was a promotional price. Who knows, perhaps that was true and MSC have changed their policy now.

Well, it was only last month when I got told the same and when I phoned MSC I got the discount (Off the flight-inclusive price BTW, which is why I said maybe they had amade a mistake in my earlier post.)

[canny_cruiser]

I can only warn of booking with MSC directly. I did that last year in July here in Germany and it was a big mistake. I booked and paid 100% by credit card. Apparently the website was buggy and the price wasn't correct. MSC Germany then tried to get the price adjusted in Italy, but never got authorization.

 

And, to make matters worse, someone in the Italian offices is blocking the refund of my money. German office cannot do anything, so now I've been waiting for over 7 months to get my money back.

 

I can't say that booking through TAs can't result in problems...but until local offices have authority to actually deal with problems their clients face, I would stay away from booking with MSC directly.

They overcharged my card last year and I waited over a month for the difference to be refunded.

 

In October, they charged twice for my FAntasia cruise. It was a late booking and I only discovered the day beforte I left when I went to my on-line credit card account. As it took them so long to correct the overcharge mistake, I immediately called the CC company and told them. They ring-fenced the second charge so it didn't incur interest. As it happende dMSC refunded within a few days but the scary thing, to me, is theat they didn't even KNOW they had charged me twice until I told them.

Heaven knows what sort of accounts reconciliation system they have.

[sidari]

Amomondo ... Strange that the travel agent chooses what you can and cannot have! our November cruise this year on Divina was listed as a promotion starting with Insides at £25 per night pp with Outsides and Balconies at higher prices.

 

We were given the 8% discount for Silver membership on our balcony booking for the cruise even though it was on a promotion, on the Opera in June the price of an Inside with both MSC and our travel agent was £519 and again the discount has been given for this cruise.