MSC Grand Voyages (Repositioning Cruises) October 2014 - April 2015

[Skier52]

I receive emails for four MSC Club members and have had nothing from MSC since before Christmas. I am pleased to be kept informed via CC. Please keep up the good work!

 

€3859 including things I don't want is a non starter to me. I hope the attractiveness of the UK offer improves upon that. There are plenty of other fish in the sea....

 

Hungover in Turkey,

 

T.

Here are the web links for emails sent on 26 Dec 2013, 7 Jan 2014 and 13 jan 2014

 

 

 

26th Dec

 

 

 

http://cs.msccruises.co.uk/ov/2002578/1400/2zbUQb%2FTV1kNUyblB0JzNS00xIDEoaZYc5owW67E7w6%2BkX5lSJk0oLIfer33TRTP

 

 

 

 

7th Jan

 

 

http://cs.msccruises.co.uk/ov/2002578/1472/tSq7TaLbUXiYcSNHw27oowGnZE3haBUJT3bY4hePSYBB9O3ujhpBjRcP5FZWZW%2FG

 

 

 

13 Jan

 

 

http://cs.msccruises.co.uk/ov/2002578/1509/dXf5et2cmmdsvTvv1%2Ff%2FBkQrEb1YbSG6hXT%2FtflaDDLPwsa%2FpvOAcHJa2Q4GNtAP

 

 

Pete

Edited January 14, 2014 by Skier52

[kestrel1943]

I have sent yet another email to Stuart Chalmers of MSC saying it is beginning to look as if they do not want UK passengers onboard this cruise and if they have not put an allocation aside for them there will not be a lot left to choose from!!!!! The reply I got from the last email was that the UK office hope to have pricing available in February!!!!!

[MM42]

I have sent yet another email to Stuart Chalmers of MSC saying it is beginning to look as if they do not want UK passengers onboard this cruise and if they have not put an allocation aside for them there will not be a lot left to choose from!!!!! The reply I got from the last email was that the UK office hope to have pricing available in February!!!!!

 

They do not want Canadian passengers, too. In North America, we have not received any info about any repo cruises.

[kestrel1943]

Copy of email sent to Stuart Chalmers and his reply!

 

 

Hi Anne

 

We completely understand from what you are saying, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.

 

We will expect there will be cabins avaialble for this cruise which we will be sell to the UK market, and we do endeavour to have this open for sale as soon as possible.

Each MSC office would have their own set allocation for this sailing.

 

Regards

 

 

Stuart Chalmers

Direct Sales Executive

 

 

MSC Cruises

Queens House, 55-56 Lincolns Inn Fields

London, WC2A 3LJ (United Kingdom)

Phone (UK): 0844 561 1955

Phone (ROI): 1800 932 499

Fax: + 44 (0) 207 831 1927

 

stuart.chalmers@msccruises.co.uk

 

 

Visit our website: http://www.msccruises.co.uk

Visit our press area: http://www.mscpressarea.com

Discover the MSC Yacht Club: http://www.mscyachtclub.com

Follow us: Facebook & Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Anne Smith [mailto:anne.smith77@gmail.com]

Sent: 14 January 2014 13:10

To: Stuart Chalmers - Product & Operations Cruise Consultant

Subject: Re: Dubai/Fremantle February 2015

 

Dear Stuart,

 

I can quite understand your position but it is beginning to look as if MSC do not wish UK passengers to travel on this cruise as by the time the posting is up on the website, unless an allocation has been put aside for the UK, there will be nothing available!!

I notice the cruise is now on some of your other European websites why not UK website??

If you read Cruise Critic you will find some of the MSC club members are very unhappy about this situation!

 

Regards

 

Anne

 

 

Sent from Anne's iPad

[Daffydd]

I receive emails for four MSC Club members and have had nothing from MSC since before Christmas. I am pleased to be kept informed via CC. Please keep up the good work!

 

€3859 including things I don't want is a non starter to me. I hope the attractiveness of the UK offer improves upon that. There are plenty of other fish in the sea....

 

Hungover in Turkey,

 

T.

 

Including Poesia Santos to Venice in March 2015 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1970617

 

Sat 28 Mar Santos....

Sun 29 Mar Rio de Janeiro.

Tue 31 Mar Salvador

Wed 01 Apr Recife

Tue 07 Apr Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Thu 09 Apr Malaga

Sun 12 Apr Valletta

Mon 13 Apr Corfu

Tue 14 Apr Dubrovnik

Wed 15 Apr Venice

[anniegb]

I have been advised in an email today that communications of the Grand Voyages will be by email blast.

 

Annie

[kestrel1943]

Think they just tell us anything!! Was your email from Stuart Chalmers?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[kestrel1943]

As I said I was told by email today from Stuart that they have not made a decision yet what way they are advertising the cruise! Think they just tell us anything!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[anniegb]

Think they just tell us anything!! Was your email from Stuart Chalmers?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

 

Yes :)

 

He says there will be a UK allocation - will we open a book on how many cabins??

 

Annie

[kestrel1943]

Probably not that many!! Will be interesting to see what happens!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Willow1686]

Probably not that many!! Will be interesting to see what happens!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I can see it now; all of us camping in the family rooms:D

[GrandyMandy]

If you look at my posting on the roll call, you will see the cabin availability that was coming up on the SA site today.

[anniegb]

33 day cruise now on sale in UK - not cheap.

 

Annie

[Skipper Tim]

33 day cruise now on sale in UK - not cheap.

 

Annie

 

Many thanks Annie.

 

That makes the UK more expensive for this cruise than any other and there is a 50% solo occupancy on top. I won't be paying £4700 for the lowliest inside.

 

I don't like the way MSC UK are going.

 

Tim.

[anniegb]

Many thanks Annie.

 

That makes the UK more expensive for this cruise than any other and there is a 50% solo occupancy on top. I won't be paying £4700 for the lowliest inside.

 

I don't like the way MSC UK are going.

 

Tim.

 

A fellow forum member telephoned the London office and was advised that they were not selling the cabins to solos at present.

 

Much cheaper prices are available from US TAs.

 

Annie

[anniegb]

Approx 2 hours after the Oz cruise went on sale, Stuart Chalmers email has arrived.

 

Annie

[sidari]

I don't like the way MSC UK are going.

 

Tim ... You are not alone on this.

[maptravel]

Yes this is now on sale on the UK MSC site (Dubai to Freemantle, 33 nights)

For an inside cabin for a single is... wait for it... £4693.50

For an inside for two... wait for it... £3129 each or £6258

Though it includes flights, some drinks, some Spa visits but there is no option of doing a cruise only and no shorter cruises ie Dubai to Singapore on offer just the full overpriced one.

[kestrel1943]

I have checked some US TA's and the lowest cost at the moment I can find without flights is £3618. Still a lot more expensive than MSC German and Italian sites which include cost of

flights.

This is for an outside cabin for 2.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited February 4, 2014 by kestrel1943

[anniegb]

Yes this is now on sale on the UK MSC site (Dubai to Freemantle, 33 nights)

For an inside cabin for a single is... wait for it... £4693.50

For an inside for two... wait for it... £3129 each or £6258

Though it includes flights, some drinks, some Spa visits but there is no option of doing a cruise only and no shorter cruises ie Dubai to Singapore on offer just the full overpriced one.

 

Those prices are cruise only. NO FLIGHTS.

 

Annie

[kestrel1943]

According to the way I read the German and Italian MSC website flights were included I may be wrong however their prices are a good bit cheaper than UK.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[kestrel1943]

Just had a phone call from my TA she has spoken to MSC and their story is that there has been a mistake in pricing on UK site plus the amount of cabins available is wrong!!!! This is supposedly being sorted by Friday!!! Seeing is believing !!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[anniegb]

According to the way I read the German and Italian MSC website flights were included I may be wrong however their prices are a good bit cheaper than UK.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I had a look at the Italian website. The Italian package on offer is not the same as the UK package.

 

Annie

[kestrel1943]

I realise that but don't quite see why there should be such a great difference in price if I added on a return flight to Genoa it would still be cheaper. I definitely think politics are involved within MSC regarding pricing and the offer of solo cabins on some sites but not on UK site seems rather unfair to solo travellers.

Have just looked in MSC UK site and either my iPad is not working properly or my eyes are deceiving me but can no longer find Dubai/Fremantle cruise on site!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[anniegb]

I realise that but don't quite see why there should be such a great difference in price if I added on a return flight to Genoa it would still be cheaper. I definitely think politics are involved within MSC regarding pricing and the offer of solo cabins on some sites but not on UK site seems rather unfair to solo travellers.

Have just looked in MSC UK site and either my iPad is not working properly or my eyes are deceiving me but can no longer find Dubai/Fremantle cruise on site!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I looked 30 minutes ago and the cruise was there - now it isn't.

 

Re difference in pricing, obviously MSC think the value of the drinks and excursions is worth more than the flights.

 

I have emailed Stuart in response to his email asking for solo prices and as yet no response.

 

Annie