MSC - False advertising regarding Fantastica drink packages!

[Stateroom_Sailor]

3 minutes ago, pzsdd6 said:

Just to clarify......MSC states that the drink coupons would stopped being offered for cruises “booked” after 3-25-19.

I would love to cancel my cruise, just refund my money. After all , I’m not the one who made changes to a contract after signing it. My booking was made over a year ago, long before MSC decided to change their offer. 

As someone said “it is what it is” .......very true, it’s just the principle.

No worries going forward, I’ve said my peace!

Y’all have a nice day!

 

Can you copy and past what you are referring to?  It still shows including drink coupons, and I booked on 3-26-19.

 

I find it very hard to believe that they would ask $100 pp from 7 day inside cabin people, for free room service and preferred MDR seating.

[electro]

4 minutes ago, pzsdd6 said:

Just to clarify......MSC states that the drink coupons would stopped being offered for cruises “booked” after 3-25-19.

I would love to cancel my cruise, just refund my money. After all , I’m not the one who made changes to a contract after signing it. My booking was made over a year ago, long before MSC decided to change their offer. 

As someone said “it is what it is” .......very true, it’s just the principle.

No worries going forward, I’ve said my peace!

Y’all have a nice day!

I'm in the same boat so to speak. We booked our cruise last April, 4 months before they announced that they were stopping the vouchers at the end of March 2019. When I inquired with MSC about this I was told that they were not replacing them with anything. My sisters, who booked the same time and with the same TA as me, were also told they would not be getting the vouchers.

If I had have know they were stopping the vouchers when I booked, I would have booked a Bella.

We are sailing in the Med so no free drinks on us or easy package.

So in essence, we booked and paid for a cruise with free drinks (vouchers) and will not be getting what we paid for.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

14 minutes ago, electro said:

I'm in the same boat so to speak. We booked our cruise last April, 4 months before they announced that they were stopping the vouchers at the end of March 2019. When I inquired with MSC about this I was told that they were not replacing them with anything. My sisters, who booked the same time and with the same TA as me, were also told they would not be getting the vouchers.

If I had have know they were stopping the vouchers when I booked, I would have booked a Bella.

We are sailing in the Med so no free drinks on us or easy package.

So in essence, we booked and paid for a cruise with free drinks (vouchers) and will not be getting what we paid for.

 

I just called, and was told it all ended March 21st.  Given that we didn't even know about the vouchers when we booked, and Fantastica was free, no real harm on our end.  If they change the terms of service on something you paid for, it either needs to be grandfathered in, or a refund applied.  

 

I'm loving the price, itinerary, status match and veteran discounts, and what I see from entertainment and decor.  Though I guess they have an "F" with the BBB for a reason...

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Stateroom_Sailor

[thetaro]

I am doing a mock booking for 2021 cruise, this BS about winter sailing is still up there.

 

[Hobby3333]

I understand that MSC has issues.   I booked last July while onboard the Seaside in YC.   One of the perks was that we would receive $200 OBC per person.   I transferred the booking to my TA that I have booked at least 12 cruises over the past 6 years or so.   I saved all the paperwork that was given to me while still on the ship after we deposited.   It clearly states $200 per person per stay.  Now MSC is telling me that we can’t get the extra $200.   I would like the extra OBC but I am not going to let it ruin my cruise this July.  Still going to fight for the OBC.  We will see what happens.

 

[TomC21]

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

I just looked, and we got 5% off on our booking as well.  I didn't know about the veteran discount, will have to send my wife's DD214 in.  Looks like 10% off verandas as well?  If the price of our cruise follows 2019 patters, I'm sure we'll be upgrading anyways!

 

Yes, you can add the military active duty or veteran discount of 5%. I believe the total combined discount can’t go above 10%. I don’t remember who I emailed it to, but I remember reading it somewhere on their website terms and conditions

[CruisingFox27]

35 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I do not believe there to be any legal implications under US law with the title of this thread unless the OP is lying about their interaction with MSC (and we have no reason to believe this to be the case).  If MSC deleted a promised amenity, I believe it fair for the OP to consider themselves 'scammed'. The title might be inflammatory, but I see nothing libel. 

 

 

Scamming is to deliberately defraud someone, MSC may have withdrawn a previously advertised offer but they have not deliberately and illegally defrauded anyone. Which is what the title suggests. I'm no legal eagle but that would be my view, as I'm sure it is covered in the T&C's.

Edited March 27, 2019 by CruisingFox27

[CruisingFox27]

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

I'm loving the price, itinerary, status match and veteran discounts, and what I see from entertainment and decor.  Though I guess they have an "F" with the BBB for a reason...

 

 

Probably not being an American Cruiseline...

[BermudaBound2014]

24 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

Scamming is to deliberately defraud someone, MSC may have withdrawn a previously advertised offer but they have not deliberately and illegally defrauded anyone. Which is what the title suggests. I'm no legal eagle but that would be my view, as I'm sure it is covered in the T&C's.

 

I'm not a lawyer either, but I've lived with them my whole life. I just asked my brother and he suggested that the court would look at the verb scam simply as the act of deceiving. In this case, I believe the word scam applies as the OP was deceived. We can wordsmith 'liar' in the same manner.  My stand remains, the title may very well be inflammatory, but not libel. 

[BubMunkeyBles]

The website has said for quite a while that the coupons would be going away (at least on my end it has). I don't know if the price difference is really worth it from Bella, but I do like not worrying about getting the dining time I want as much. Not sure that's worth a couple hundred though or not. Sorry you're disappointed. I don't think that's enough to make or break a vacation for me though.

[BermudaBound2014]

31 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

Probably not being an American Cruiseline...

 

The rational given by the better business bureau is that MSC has failed to reply and/or resolve a large percentage of complaints. We only need to look at the first page of Cruise Critic to realize this is a pretty common theme. 

 

I'm not a MSC hater, but I don't have my head in the sand either. 

[CruisingFox27]

18 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

The rational given by the better business bureau is that MSC has failed to reply and/or resolve a large percentage of complaints. We only need to look at the first page of Cruise Critic to realize this is a pretty common theme. 

 

I'm not a MSC hater, but I don't have my head in the sand either. 

 

A slight tongue in cheek from me there 😜 Although there are genuine and some poorly handled issues, there always seem a lot of complaints that things weren't like they are on other lines. Some people embrace the differences, some aren't happy MSC isn't a US cruiseline.  Some people you just can't please whatever you do, I read a negative hotel review once where they complained that the Spanish hotel was staffed by Spanish people and the food was Spanish....

[sfaaa]

Truth is there is no such thing as cheap and good in this world. MSC has cheap cruises, nice ships but are weak in certain areas. So long as you are aware of this, you will have a pleasant and affordable cruise. Expecting too much and you will likely set yourself up for some disappointments. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

5 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

Probably not being an American Cruiseline...

 

If one makes an accusation against an organization, I'll look for a pattern to see if there is merit.  Here on CC, I can ask other cruisers about their experience with MSC to find consensus.  Other than status match, OP actually seems to be on to something.  

 

Does BBB show bias?

 

British Airways B-

Japan Airlines A+

Aeromexico A+

 

Companies outside the US may be more likely to disregard BBB complaints, MSC included.  Though keeping an A rating only requires solving complaints that have been registered with the Better Business Bureau itself, and could be a helpful resource if the company is having trouble keeping organized with their own incoming phone and e-mail contacts.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Stateroom_Sailor

[sidari]

MSC is not for everyone as we have seen on many occasions and usually those who shout the loudest are the ones who struggle to cope with change.

I think some people need to look closer to home as regards their issues because until MSC began to employ those from USA lines there were few issues though customer service was one of them.

 

[Beamafar]

7 minutes ago, sidari said:

MSC is not for everyone as we have seen on many occasions and usually those who shout the loudest are the ones who struggle to cope with change.

I think some people need to look closer to home as regards their issues because until MSC began to employ those from USA lines there were few issues though customer service was one of them.

 

 

I have to agree.  It seems that a lot of the negative changes have come about from MSC trying to grow its market share in the US and bringing in personnel from US cruise companies to the detriment of the overall product.  By trying to be all things to all people it's falling between the two stools.

[pzsdd6]

To the others on this thread,

 My apologies if my many posts came off as angry rants, truth be told they are based more in frustration than anything else.

My principals are based on truth and fairness, when those run head long into blind ignorance, frustration is often the result,

again my apologies for taking up so much time from more constructive posts.

[ziggyuk]

28 minutes ago, pzsdd6 said:

The truth is never inflammatory! 

Capital letters used in posts or txts is not always shouting......sometimes it denotes something important, maybe for one or all!

If issues raised here offend you, regardless of how they are posted, then by all means move on.

 

I left a comprehensive reply to your original post listing all the elements that were needed for the experienced members of this forum to help you, trust me, the experience here is phenomenal and could really help you.

 

You replied to simply reiterate your issues, not answering any questions and the only thing you added was to say you used a travel agent.

 

From deductions I take this as a timeline:

 

1/ You have an upcoming cruise on MSC.

2/ This is your second MSC cruise (you stated you had bad service on the first and you received no gold perks).

3/ We don't know what ship, what date the cruise is or when the cruise was booked.

4/ You tried to call MSC but gave up due to long waits.

5/ You booked the upcoming cruise with a travel agent (new information).

6/ The travel agent has been very unhelpful, they told you MSC won't budge and can do as they like.

 

From everything you have said, the travel agent is at fault, they sold you a product you have not received, you have not even spoken to MSC but blame everything on them?

 

Honestly, I have no idea what the law is in the US but in the UK I would be taking the travel agent to our small claims court for not supplying what I had paid for, do you not have anything like this in the US?

 

I still can't understand why you booked a second MSC cruise after being so unhappy with the first.

[styles27]

We too booked and paid for the  Fantastica experience for our upcoming 04/28 Med cruise. 

 

I’d be lying if I said we weren’t disappointed when we learned that we wouldn’t be receiving something that was included in the extra $$ we paid however I can’t let it ruin our cruise. 

 

So while it would be nice (and very good customer service) to have some sort of onboard credit applied to make up for them not honoring these drink vouchers I won’t hold my breath. 

 

At this point I’m unsure of what we’re receiving for the extra $90pp because even our preferred dining time is supposedly on wait list. 

 

Oh well, at least we were able to pick our room location...hopefully that won’t be changed too. lol

 

 

[pzsdd6]

To try and answer the questions you posed.......

Our Cruise was booked in June of 2018

We are booked on the Bellissima June 21 out of Barcelona

Our booking is an interior cabin deck 13 Fantastica package

Our previous MSC experience was the Preziosa just shy of 2 years ago

At that time we did the match program and received gold status

never received room credit, perks in the room etc. When we spoke to guest services, we were told to write to the home office upon completion of our cruise.(quite rudely)

Our travel agent booked our Bellissima cruise and provided all the details as laid out by MSC.

Our Cruise was paid in full December 2018

When we couldn’t reach anyone at MSC customer service( on hold for 102 minutes), we had our vacation planner contact MSC

They told our VP that they could change whatever they chose too. The MSC agent did say that since canceling the drink coupons that 95% of the calls they were receiving were about this issue.

They said we could “down grade” to a Bella package and room for a $200 fee.

 

To answer your question as to why we booked with MSC again after having issues on the first cruise, we know that things can and do happen. We hoped that our first experience was an anomaly and that MSC may have learned and improved. Turns out I was wrong. As I stated earlier, this won’t ruin our trip as the cruise is only a small part of the total trip, for me MSC will be thought of as a glorified Mediterranean taxi, nothing more.

 

once again, this and all my posts are my views and experiences, however, again I ask, look at all the other similar posts and complaints.

Thank you for your constructive comments and suggestions!

 

My posts and comments were as much to vent as to share information and my experiences and hopefully save others from waiting money and being disappointed purchasing upgrades from MSC that they have no intention of honoring!

Edited March 28, 2019 by pzsdd6

[diesel1973]

17 minutes ago, pzsdd6 said:

To try and answer the questions you posed.......

Our Cruise was booked in June of 2018

We are booked on the Bellissima June 21 out of Barcelona

Our booking is an interior cabin deck 13 Fantastica package

Our previous MSC experience was the Preziosa just shy of 2 years ago

At that time we did the match program and received gold status

never received room credit, perks in the room etc. When we spoke to guest services, we were told to write to the home office upon completion of our cruise.(quite rudely)

Our travel agent booked our Bellissima cruise and provided all the details as laid out by MSC.

Our Cruise was paid in full December 2018

When we couldn’t reach anyone at MSC customer service( on hold for 102 minutes), we had our vacation planner contact MSC

They told our VP that they could change whatever they chose too. The MSC agent did say that since canceling the drink coupons that 95% of the calls they were receiving were about this issue.

They said we could “down grade” to a Bella package and room for a $200 fee.

 

To answer your question as to why we booked with MSC again after having issues on the first cruise, we know that things can and do happen. We hoped that our first experience was an anomaly and that MSC may have learned and improved. Turns out I was wrong. As I stated earlier, this won’t ruin our trip as the cruise is only a small part of the total trip, for me MSC will be thought of as a glorified Mediterranean taxi, nothing more.

 

once again, this and all my posts are my views and experiences, however, again I ask, look at all the other similar posts and complaints.

Thank you for your constructive comments and suggestions!

 

My posts and comments were as much to vent as to share information and my experiences and hopefully save others from waiting money and being disappointed purchasing upgrades from MSC that they have no intention of honoring!

I totally agree with  the OP. After my experience with a cruise on the Seaside the flag they should be flying should be a pirates flag!!!

[neptuno]

1 hour ago, diesel1973 said:

I totally agree with  the OP. After my experience with a cruise on the Seaside the flag they should be flying should be a pirates flag!!!

Love/Hate MSC.  Been burned when they changed the rules, and dropped us as repeat cruisers.  Came back after boycotting for four years, trying other so-so mass market lines, two of which burned us as well, and have our next two booked with MSC again.  MSC provides an average good value (cheap for a reason), but poor customer service, and no old fashioned loyalty.  Sad that so many posters have attacked the OP.  After all, this is "Cruise CRITIC",  not cruise cheerleader.

Edited March 28, 2019 by neptuno
typo

[Beamafar]

6 hours ago, styles27 said:

We too booked and paid for the  Fantastica experience for our upcoming 04/28 Med cruise. 

 

I’d be lying if I said we weren’t disappointed when we learned that we wouldn’t be receiving something that was included in the extra $$ we paid however I can’t let it ruin our cruise. 

 

So while it would be nice (and very good customer service) to have some sort of onboard credit applied to make up for them not honoring these drink vouchers I won’t hold my breath. 

 

At this point I’m unsure of what we’re receiving for the extra $90pp because even our preferred dining time is supposedly on wait list. 

 

Oh well, at least we were able to pick our room location...hopefully that won’t be changed too. lol

 

 

 

Your outlook is commendable!

 

I can understand why people are annoyed at this (the OP's rant notwithstanding) - it's very wrong of MSC to entice bookings with an offer, and then rescind that very offer.  I think if enough people contacted MSC and complained loudly enough, they'd either reconsider, or offer something to replace the vouchers.  It worked in the UK very recently when MSC tried to make the Daily Service Charge mandatory (I don't know if you saw the thread on here on the subject).  There was such push-back that they rescinded the policy very quickly.

 

The situation re the waitlist for dining is normal;  MSC don't assign your dining times 'til you embark.  With Fantastica, you have a better chance of changing your assigned time if it doesn't suit than someone with a Bella booking would.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

5 hours ago, neptuno said:

Love/Hate MSC.  Been burned when they changed the rules, and dropped us as repeat cruisers.  Came back after boycotting for four years, trying other so-so mass market lines, two of which burned us as well, and have our next two booked with MSC again.  MSC provides an average good value (cheap for a reason), but poor customer service, and no old fashioned loyalty.  Sad that so many posters have attacked the OP.  After all, this is "Cruise CRITIC",  not cruise cheerleader.

 

This thread has convinced us to cancel our MSC cruise, a whopping 72 hours and I've already had enough of MSC's shenanigans.  I hear what you are saying, after having been personally burned by Carnival, watching dry dock and navigational mishap horror stories on NCL, and unfavorable changes (IMO) to the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean fleet.  Unfortunately it may come down to who rubs us the wrong way the least, and offers the best value comparatively.

 

To those reasonable, enjoy your future MSC cruises, it does have its strengths.  to the cheerleaders, you can have your pirate ship back. 

[glittergal1]

11 hours ago, pzsdd6 said:

To the others on this thread,

 My apologies if my many posts came off as angry rants, truth be told they are based more in frustration than anything else.

My principals are based on truth and fairness, when those run head long into blind ignorance, frustration is often the result,

again my apologies for taking up so much time from more constructive posts.

 

Do you have in writing from MSC that the drinks vouchers are not available for your cruise? and that you will not be getting a substitute offer?