My Nov 1st Divina review: Why we won't sail MSC again.

[iamaqt2]

This was our family’s first cruise on MSC, and having read both positive and negative reviews, we went into this cruise with fairly low expectations. We are a family of easy going travelers who enjoy both sea and land based vacations, and I do most of the vacation planning. I figured how bad could it be if I didn’t have to cook or clean for a week, and we were going to be entertained ?

 

Just to preface this review, I booked this cruise in February ( 9 months in advance), with a balcony and an inside for the kids. We upgraded the kids to a balcony on a 4th of July flash sale, and paid in full at that time. This was all done through our TA and all MSC paperwork emailed to me. Then, 2 weeks before the cruise, I called MSC to prebook packages, but they wouldn’t speak to me as I had booked with a TA. I had our TA contact MSC to prebook AND prepay all our drink packages and excursions, as I didn’t want a hefty bill at the end of the cruise. It took them a while to get it all figured out, but it finally got done, credit card charged and receipt from MSC emailed to me outlining what I paid for. Then I went online and did online check-in for all of us, and printed out the Web Check-in document MSC provides.

 

Day of Embarkation we arrived at the terminal around 1:30 pm, and waited in line about 30 mins. Not terribly long, but it was fairly chilly in there with the AC being very strong at some points in the line. Once we got to the front, DH split off with DS and I took DD. We were both notified that they could not locate our reservation, and they were going to have to contact a supervisor. 25 minutes later, and no updates in between at all, we are told “we have you on the manifest, but no other record of you.” 15 minutes after that, they were able to print us cruise cards, and we boarded the ship. At this point we knew we needed to switch room cards to put the kids in their own room, so we headed down to guest services to take care of this. This was actually handled fairly smoothly. Then off to the casino to pick up my prepaid packages (which I wasn’t feeling very confident about, considering my lost reservation). I was right to be concerned, as they had no record of them, and sent me back to deal with guest services.

 

This is where my whole cruise was soured, as I had to spend the next 5 days, and 15 encounters with the desk to finally get resolution to my problem. Apparently MSC has a “process” that they MUST follow if a guest has a problem onboard, which involves them emailing the problem to the home office, then waiting for a reply back. I understand that this would be more efficient for an international traveler, but I was booked through the US office, and a quick phone call would have cleared my problem up immediately. My request to speak with the Guest Relations Manager was denied.

 

I had printed documentation outlining exactly what I had booked and paid for, including copies of my credit card charge, as I had previously read of others having problems. So I figured it should be a quick matter to clear up, and be on my way. NOPE… The desk informed me that it could be up to 2 days before I received a resolution. They sent off an email, and told me to check back with them that evening. At this point, I needed to also go see the Maitre ‘D as we had no dining assignment either, due to them losing our reservation. This had to be the longest line I waited in all cruise. After waiting 45 minutes we were finally assigned a table for 4 for early dining. But after all this running around on board, we were just too tired to get ready for dinner, so skipped first night.

 

I went back to our room, called my TA and let her know what was going on. She called me back in 20 mins, said a supervisor at MSC was working on it, and it would be cleared up within the hour. At this point I figured let it go, and check back with the desk later.

Checked back 3 times that night, no resolution. And apparently I wasn’t the only unhappy passenger, as the lines on both sides of guest services was long, and people were yelling!! Yikes!

 

The next day, I checked in with the desk 4 times, and was finally told they would contact me if they heard anything. That afternoon they called and said they finally heard back, everything is ok and paid for( like I already said and had proof of) and to come down in 3 hours and my packages would be ready. So I show up 3 hours later, but they’re not ready yet. But come back in 15 minutes, and they’ll have it ready!!

 

At this point, it’s time for the GALA dinner, so I say we’ll be back later. We go to dinner, and tell them our assigned table, and get seated. The waiter asks to see my card, as he says we’re not the guests who sat there the evening prior. No problem, I show it to him, and on with our dinner. Then back to the desk to pick up packages. Ask about my prepaid excursions, and told to check in with the excursion desk the next day. Also I need to clear up all beverages already purchased one by one with drink tickets….. one receipt at a time…. 30 minutes later…

Show up to the excursion desk the next morning, and SURPRISE! they have no record of my booking. I explain to the gentleman all the issues with my prepaid bookings, and he has to go straighten it out with the desk. 30 minutes later I finally have my excursion tickets in hand. Then back to desk to see if prior drink charges are cleared up yet. Nope… told to give them time to take care of it.

Show up for dinner on 3rd night, get seated, then told we’re sitting at someone else’s table. WHAT?!? Mario the asst. Maitre D explains to us that he doesn’t know how we got assigned that table, as it isn’t logged in the system. He tells us that he has a table for us, but we need to move. At this point the other people decide to let it go for the night, but we need to move the next night.

 

On the 5th day of the cruise they finally cleared up all the previous drink charges, but I realized that the 2 bottles of Asti Spumante I prepaid to have for sailaway on our balcony had never arrived. So another call to the desk to ask if they would please credit these back to our account, as we didn’t want or need them this late in the cruise. NOPE… no credit allowed, but we could get them delivered to the cabin. Fine…. Get back to cabin, and we have 2 bottles of Brut. Now I know that this isn’t a big deal, and I could have called to have it swapped, but after everything else, this was a real you-know-what moment.

 

I can say with all certainty that we will NEVER sail MSC again.

 

Was the cruise a total bust? No… we had a pretty good time despite all the hassles…. We enjoyed most of the food, and the ports. The evening shows were for the most part good, although the acts toward the end were just repetitions of the earlier shows. And we ended up with some amazing family portraits I will always cherish.

 

BUT… the dinner buffet was severely lacking in options which was surprising, as the lunch buffet was amazing in variety, there was no evening entertainment other than music or the main production, and there is nothing for older teens past kids club age to do onboard. The lounges used for entertainment are too small for the amount of people who want to participate, and the pass through on deck 7 is amazingly congested for a main thoroughfare of the ship with the photo gallery.

[MiamiSpartan]

Sorry for your experience....What other type of entertainment were you looking for? We found that there was music in every lounge throughout the ship.....

[insanedan]

Bugger that doesn't sound remotely pleasant, and definitely echoes some of what I have heard on here.

 

If your cruise goes well it goes well, but if things go a little sour MSC customer service leaves much to be desired. (as everything has to go through head office)

 

Hopefully my cruise with them goes smoothly, or I will surely be letting you guys all know my opinion, if I have to deal with the same as the OP.

[AmoMondo]

Yes, when things go wrong it has to be referred by the ship to Napoli which takes a few days. They really should allow some local decision making, particularly when passengers have proof of purchase/booking. I've occasionally had an issue that needed to be referred to HO. Didn't go back and forth so many times each day though. It would not have helped get it solved quicker and it would have had my blood pressure rising. It seems to be the Italian way that things get fixed but not very quickly and fighting against this is an exercise in futility! I'm not excusing this, just saying it is the best way to deal with it and continue to enjoy your cruise.

 

The OP's experience sounds a bit like a house of cards falling down. From the point the reservation wasn't there, everything else went awry. Haven't heard of anyone else experiencing this before (thankfully), mostly it is just a missing drinks or spa package or differnt dinner seating or bed configuration incorrect.

 

I can fully understand why the OP wil not be returning to MSC.

Edited November 10, 2014 by AmoMondo

[jenf22]

We've got our first cruise booked with them for next year. Do you think things would have gone better if you had booked directly through MSC? I'm through a TA now, but wondering if I shouldn't worry about the $300 savings and just go through the cruise line directly.

 

We have the same thought as you though - just have low expectations and focus on the ports. This cruise is $1200 cheaper than on Allure for the the same itinerary (and that's with an RCCL sale - the price is insanely higher now). But we still have have the Allure reservation too in case we decide to not risk MSC. So do you think your hassle would have been worth the $1200 savings? I'm sorry for all of your trouble. What a bummer.

[skyking]

We've got our first cruise booked with them for next year. Do you think things would have gone better if you had booked directly through MSC? I'm through a TA now, but wondering if I shouldn't worry about the $300 savings and just go through the cruise line directly.

 

We have the same thought as you though - just have low expectations and focus on the ports. This cruise is $1200 cheaper than on Allure for the the same itinerary (and that's with an RCCL sale - the price is insanely higher now). But we still have have the Allure reservation too in case we decide to not risk MSC. So do you think your hassle would have been worth the $1200 savings? I'm sorry for all of your trouble. What a bummer.

 

I have been on the OASIS and recently the Divina....DONT worry, the Divina was wonderful, we had a totally different experience on our cruise than the op, I am not down playing in any way what happened to the OP, but the Divina is a great ship.

Edited November 10, 2014 by skyking

[RoePost]

Sorry to hear about what you had to endure...but I myself have sailed the Divina and enjoyed it very much....so much so that we have booked it again for next year....so go with an open mind and hopefully it will all turn out as well as ours did.

[iamaqt2]

Sorry for your experience....What other type of entertainment were you looking for? We found that there was music in every lounge throughout the ship.....

 

In the evenings, there was music in every lounge. The more lively lounges offered the type of entertainment we were looking for, but unfortunately the lounges are too small to accommodate the amount of pax looking for a fun time in the evening. There is NO other entertainment than music after the production show. And through no fault of the CD, bad weather forced the cancellation of 2 different evenings planned events, karaoke and the White Party that we were looking forward to. They had planned to host these at the Aqua Park, and rather than attempt to relocate them inside, they just cancelled them. This forced all 4000 passengers to try and find something to do inside the ship. There just isn't enough interior space to host that many people.

Also we found that the activities offered throughout the day ended before lunch, then didn't start again until around 3 pm. I'm not sure how much the fact that we had Anna as a CD this week instead of Andre (he was on vacation) influenced this.

 

We've got our first cruise booked with them for next year. Do you think things would have gone better if you had booked directly through MSC? I'm through a TA now, but wondering if I shouldn't worry about the $300 savings and just go through the cruise line directly.

 

I'm not sure if booking directly through MSC would have made any difference. I spoke to many people on board who used a TA and they had no issues whatsoever. Also all my documentation from my TA was forwarded to me directly from MSC. For a $1200 price difference, and with itinerary being your main focus, and not the ship, I would still book the Divina. It is a beautiful ship, and the shows are good. If you can live with just doing ports, dinner and a show then you'll be good.

Edited November 10, 2014 by iamaqt2

[L3GWG]

Problem is you booked through a 3rd party. Understand that that way may be cheaper but you have the risk that has happened to you. We always deal with the cruise company and any issues are resolved immediately.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[iamaqt2]

Problem is you booked through a 3rd party. Understand that that way may be cheaper but you have the risk that has happened to you. We always deal with the cruise company and any issues are resolved immediately.

 

I paid the same amount using my TA that I would have paid had I booked directly. And my issues would not have been resolved immediately, as has previously been noted on these boards that all issues have to go through the head office. But thank you for your insightful and constructive addition to the conversation.

[sidari]

No matter who you booked with the people onboard the ship should be able to deal with the issue and not have to keep going back to Mum and Dad for an answer! in today`s modern age the response should at most be a matter of hours.

 

MSC had forgot to add our Allegrissimo to our booking on the Divina TA to Miami, we also had printed proof of the booking but as usual they had to go and ask Mum and Dad for confirmation! meanwhile you have to sign for drinks with the 15% added and then go and ask for it to be removed.

 

We have sailed on two ships where Mario has been the matre`d and has been very helpful over table seating.

 

Organisation is not a strong point for MSC sadly.

[JohnLocke2012]

Strange. I booked through an online TA and am able to book my excursions and drink packages directly through MSCs website.

[quattrohead]

Organisation is not a strong point for MSC sadly.

Bit of an understatement, they could not organize a veritable drinking session in a brewery :D

Its a great pity, lovely ships but often soured by rotten customer service issues.

[snufman]

I totally agree. It seemed like no one knew what was going on. If you ask a question, you're likely to get a different response from each person you ask. My sister ordered a Ginger Beer. On the back of the can it states non-alcoholic SODA, they charged her $6.00 for a beer. Their statement was "It says Beer", we responded with so does Root Beer but it's not a beer and Ginger Ale, but it's not an ale. It seemed to take forever to get it straightened out. They are very disorganized. We will not be sailing with them again for sure.

[ucftabby]

I totally agree. It seemed like no one knew what was going on. If you ask a question, you're likely to get a different response from each person you ask. My sister ordered a Ginger Beer. On the back of the can it states non-alcoholic SODA, they charged her $6.00 for a beer. Their statement was "It says Beer", we responded with so does Root Beer but it's not a beer and Ginger Ale, but it's not an ale. It seemed to take forever to get it straightened out. They are very disorganized. We will not be sailing with them again for sure.

 

All of the menus clearly stated the price of the Gosling's ginger beer at $6.00, it was also marked with an asterisk which meant it was not valid to be purchased with the vouchers or the classic AI. You stated that they straightened it out, which I assume means they gave it to you for a discounted price (or the price of a soda)-- well, I would consider that excellent customer service since the error was not on their end. Bravo MSC

[iamaqt2]

All of the menus clearly stated the price of the Gosling's ginger beer at $6.00, it was also marked with an asterisk which meant it was not valid to be purchased with the vouchers or the classic AI. You stated that they straightened it out, which I assume means they gave it to you for a discounted price (or the price of a soda)-- well, I would consider that excellent customer service since the error was not on their end. Bravo MSC

 

This is true snufman, and trivializes my reason for not cruising MSC again. I have a very valid reason, while a perceived overcharge on a soda as a reason for never cruising again seems .... well...... trivial.

[Skipper Tim]

I think the OP makes very valid criticism. I think most of us here have experienced some issues with MSC shore-side organisation and the inability to resolve them locally wheter that is in the country in which a cruise was booked or on the ship.

 

As in all things, I have to agree with Amomondo. If you know you are in the right just enjoy the cruise and let things sort themselves out at the usual MSC pace. Visiting the professional diplomats at reception achieves nothing once the original issue has been put on the system.

 

I would make a formal complaint to MSC about your experience concentating on the original loss of booking details from which all other issues followed. Be clear in your demand - e.g. another cruise to give MSC the chance to redeem themselves. If you don't fancy that, you could ask for a full refund but that is less likely.

[MsTabbyKats]

I think the OP makes very valid criticism. I think most of us here have experienced some issues with MSC shore-side organisation and the inability to resolve them locally wheter that is in the country in which a cruise was booked or on the ship.

 

As in all things, I have to agree with Amomondo. If you know you are in the right just enjoy the cruise and let things sort themselves out at the usual MSC pace. Visiting the professional diplomats at reception achieves nothing once the original issue has been put on the system.

 

I would make a formal complaint to MSC about your experience concentating on the original loss of booking details from which all other issues followed. Be clear in your demand - e.g. another cruise to give MSC the chance to redeem themselves. If you don't fancy that, you could ask for a full refund but that is less likely.

 

Completely agree. You go on a cruise to relax....not be frustrated and stand on lines.

[Beamafar]

It seemed like a complete nightmare. How could anyone relax and enjoy a cruise when not being able to order PREPAID drinks without the fear of being charged and not having confidence that the problem was going to be sorted?

[American Bear]

We've got our first cruise booked with them for next year. Do you think things would have gone better if you had booked directly through MSC? I'm through a TA now, but wondering if I shouldn't worry about the $300 savings and just go through the cruise line directly.

 

We have the same thought as you though - just have low expectations and focus on the ports. This cruise is $1200 cheaper than on Allure for the the same itinerary (and that's with an RCCL sale - the price is insanely higher now). But we still have have the Allure reservation too in case we decide to not risk MSC. So do you think your hassle would have been worth the $1200 savings? I'm sorry for all of your trouble. What a bummer.

 

 

We've cruised both the Divina and Allure, we're D+ on RCL so we get a lot of freebies, but not $1200. worth!

 

 

jenf22, we had no problems with our booking, the major difference was we booked drink pkges. and excursions, but paid for them at the end of the cruise, so we got the extra points towards the MSC loyalty club! WE will cruise the Divina again, and will try any new future ship MSC brings to the US mkt.!

 

jenf22, we don't mean to trivialize the OP's difficulties, we do sympathise with them, but every Cruise Critic cruise line forum has threads about every cruise line's poor service, where they screwed up! It happens, and it sucks if it happens to you, but it happens on every cruise line! And yes there are threads about problems on the Allure also!:eek:

 

To the OP, we hope MSC will give more decision ability to their local offices to eliminate the wait for answers half a world away! Its a simple solution!

The MSC Divina is a very good cruise product, and an excellent value! MSC needs to address the timeliness of decision making when problems arise!

The OP should never had to wait days for an answer to a problem MSC made, and we hope MSC shows the same class that is the Divina, and make an offer to appease the OP for their difficulties!:)

[Beamafar]

Well said, AB ..............I wish there was a "Like" button on these forums (I have an image of one but can't seem to be able to import it)

Edited November 11, 2014 by Beamafar
Grammar check

[iamaqt2]

Thank you all for realizing I have a valid complaint, and I'm not on here just to bash MSC, as I have seen some of those posts myself.

 

This truly was a hassle on what was supposed to be a relaxing family holiday. I felt thwarted at every turn, and it would have been such a simple matter for them to call shoreside before leaving port that day. Also being denied to speak with the Guest Relations Manager didn't endear me to Guest Services.

 

I'm not looking for a refund or a free cruise. Logistically speaking, it's darn near impossible for us to all arrange the same time off, not to mention the cost of airfare from Seattle to Miami for 4 people. My family saved a long time for this holiday.

 

I just want MSC to acknowledge they screwed up, and apologise. Not once on the cruise did anyone say sorry. I was treated like the whole mess was my fault, and that is what I have a problem with.

[MsTabbyKats]

Thank you all for realizing I have a valid complaint, and I'm not on here just to bash MSC, as I have seen some of those posts myself.

 

This truly was a hassle on what was supposed to be a relaxing family holiday. I felt thwarted at every turn, and it would have been such a simple matter for them to call shoreside before leaving port that day. Also being denied to speak with the Guest Relations Manager didn't endear me to Guest Services.

 

I'm not looking for a refund or a free cruise. Logistically speaking, it's darn near impossible for us to all arrange the same time off, not to mention the cost of airfare from Seattle to Miami for 4 people. My family saved a long time for this holiday.

 

I just want MSC to acknowledge they screwed up, and apologise. Not once on the cruise did anyone say sorry. I was treated like the whole mess was my fault, and that is what I have a problem with.

 

Since you booked thru a TA....maybe they could give the TA some compensation that you could use as a credit for future travel.

 

Did you speak to the TA?

 

I'm very easy to please .....and generally laugh as people's issues. But...your issues are very valid.

[pmacher61]

One wonders whether MSC realizes that passengers need to be treated differently than freight. The experience of this OP is scandalous. Where is MS MSC when we need her?

[neptuno]

One wonders whether MSC realizes that passengers need to be treated differently than freight. The experience of this OP is scandalous. Where is MS MSC when we need her?

 

Agreed. We are customers, not freight; while MSC has built a vast empire on freight, it needs to improve it's customer relations.