Is MSC trying to scam families?

[Thetfoodie]

Hi,

We are planning a family cruise this fall. It would be our first MSC so I'm not sure if this is something that happens regularly when booking with them so perhaps you can help.

We are 4 adults and 2 children and were looking for 2 cabins, one for 2 adults and one for 2 adults and 2 children, Oceanview or balcony. And of course we'd love to take advantage of the kids travel free promo.

And here starts the problem... Apparently the cabins for 4 are sold out already... But when you try to book the cabin for 2 and proceed to choose it, all the available cabins have occupancy for 4... Strange, right? Their suggestion : book two cabins for 2... (obviously in this case kids pay) so we are supposed to split a family of 4 in 2 cabins even when the maps show that there are plenty of cabins for 4 still available???

Has anyone encountered this problem? If so, what did you do? We have cruised with NCL several times and finding a cabin for 4 was never an issue. Is this a tactic from MSC to make more money? Is there a chance that they will make the cabins for 4 available again when the date comes closer (October)?

Thanks for your suggestions (unless your suggestion is go back to NCL - we are already aware of that one)

[sidari]

Have you tried rining them ?

[mizzoufinal4]

If the cruise is for this Oct. then there is a very good possibility that due to muster station space and ship capacity that there may not be any rooms left for 4. An Oct. cruise is not that far away. There may be many rooms that hold 4 people left but they can only hold so many people at each muster station so once they get to a certain point they limit capacity in that section. All cruise lines do this.

[Thetfoodie]

Have you tried rining them ?

 

Yes, we tried calling them and also with our travel agent but their suggestion was always the same.

Another strange thing: just got a quote from a cruise compete agency that magically has a balcony cabin for 4 for that sailing (at a high price though) but that means that there is availability, right?

Perhaps some agencies have a few cabins on hold?

[Thetfoodie]

If the cruise is for this Oct. then there is a very good possibility that due to muster station space and ship capacity that there may not be any rooms left for 4. An Oct. cruise is not that far away. There may be many rooms that hold 4 people left but they can only hold so many people at each muster station so once they get to a certain point they limit capacity in that section. All cruise lines do this.

 

Thanks, this makes sense.

But I just got a (very high) quote for a balcony cabin for 4 from a cruise compete agency...

[mizzoufinal4]

Yes there may be rooms available but muster stations are pre-set so if one area of the ship is at life boat capacity then you can not book that section. So rooms may be available in different sections.

[riclop]

Try calling them.

[Homosassa]

MSC also tries to have a diverse population on every cruising. In order to do that, a certain number of cabins are held for each market (i.e.; North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, etc).

 

Therefore, the number of four passenger cabins for your market may be sold out but are still available on the ship for other markets.

[Hlitner]

What the OP describes is not a scam...and is normal on all cruise lines that has cabins for 3-4 persons. Let me explain. A ship's total capacity is based on safety considerations....such as the number of positions in lifeboats. What this often means is that that not all berths are permitted to be filled. Having extra cabins with 3-4 berths gives the cruise line and passengers more flexibility in choosing their cabins. But it also means that as a ship gets close to be sold out...there will be some empty 3rd-4th person berths that cannot be sold...because using those berths (on that particular cruise) would mean the ship exceeds the maximum number of occupants permitted. In the US Market, exceeding this number of passengers would get the ship into real hot water with the US Coast Guard...who would likely block the ship from sailing. So to put it very simple terms, a ship might have 3000 berths...but be limited to a capacity of 2900 (this is just an example).

 

It is interesting to read the latest version of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) requirements as it pertains to lifeboats. Bet most cruisers were not aware that a ship need only have lifeboat capacity for 75% of the persons onboard. But before you panic, the remainder is to be handled on life rafts and various inflatables (ever notice those large cans tied along the outside of the boatdeck?

 

Hank

Edited July 23, 2017 by Hlitner

[GOLDENBONNY]

Hi,

We are planning a family cruise this fall. It would be our first MSC so I'm not sure if this is something that happens regularly when booking with them so perhaps you can help.

We are 4 adults and 2 children and were looking for 2 cabins, one for 2 adults and one for 2 adults and 2 children, Oceanview or balcony. And of course we'd love to take advantage of the kids travel free promo.

And here starts the problem... Apparently the cabins for 4 are sold out already... But when you try to book the cabin for 2 and proceed to choose it, all the available cabins have occupancy for 4... Strange, right? Their suggestion : book two cabins for 2... (obviously in this case kids pay) so we are supposed to split a family of 4 in 2 cabins even when the maps show that there are plenty of cabins for 4 still available???

Has anyone encountered this problem? If so, what did you do? We have cruised with NCL several times and finding a cabin for 4 was never an issue. Is this a tactic from MSC to make more money? Is there a chance that they will make the cabins for 4 available again when the date comes closer (October)?

Thanks for your suggestions (unless your suggestion is go back to NCL - we are already aware of that one)

 

Its not strange .All cruise lines have limit for amount of kids. Even NCL. Just call them and ask.

[GOLDENBONNY]

MSC also tries to have a diverse population on every cruising. In order to do that, a certain number of cabins are held for each market (i.e.; North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, etc).

 

Therefore, the number of four passenger cabins for your market may be sold out but are still available on the ship for other markets.

 

Forget other markets. I booked cruise from Rome and hardly any cabins left but from Genoa plenty cabins available :rolleyes:

[Skier52]

Forget other markets. I booked cruise from Rome and hardly any cabins left but from Genoa plenty cabins available :rolleyes:

MSC have blocks of cabins for sale in a region / homeport for about 6 weeks. These are unavailable to other regions during that for sale at this time.

Looks like you have fallen foul of this marketing model that MSC use.

 

 

 

Pete

[GOLDENBONNY]

MSC have blocks of cabins for sale in a region / homeport for about 6 weeks. These are unavailable to other regions during that for sale at this time.

Looks like you have fallen foul of this marketing model that MSC use.

 

 

 

Pete

I booked but will monitor for different cabin.

[Homosassa]

Forget other markets. I booked cruise from Rome and hardly any cabins left but from Genoa plenty cabins available :rolleyes:

 

You must have been on a cruise that allows embarkation/debarkation from the various cruise ports. It makes sense that the number of cabins allotted for each embarkation port are controlled.

[NH Cruisers]

What the OP describes is not a scam...and is normal on all cruise lines that has cabins for 3-4 persons. Let me explain. A ship's total capacity is based on safety considerations....such as the number of positions in lifeboats. What this often means is that that not all berths are permitted to be filled. Having extra cabins with 3-4 berths gives the cruise line and passengers more flexibility in choosing their cabins. But it also means that as a ship gets close to be sold out...there will be some empty 3rd-4th person berths that cannot be sold...because using those berths (on that particular cruise) would mean the ship exceeds the maximum number of occupants permitted. In the US Market, exceeding this number of passengers would get the ship into real hot water with the US Coast Guard...who would likely block the ship from sailing. So to put it very simple terms, a ship might have 3000 berths...but be limited to a capacity of 2900 (this is just an example).

 

It is interesting to read the latest version of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) requirements as it pertains to lifeboats. Bet most cruisers were not aware that a ship need only have lifeboat capacity for 75% of the persons onboard. But before you panic, the remainder is to be handled on life rafts and various inflatables (ever notice those large cans tied along the outside of the boatdeck?

 

Hank

The cruise ships will have the life boat space for all the passengers. Crew will be in rafts and such.

[Trevor Fountain]

The cruise ships will have the life boat space for all the passengers. Crew will be in rafts and such.

Providing they can all be used of course. A badly listing ship will probably render half the lifeboats unusable.