MSC Cruises going bankrupt?

[aprilF]

20 hours ago, slei15 said:

Great news...I just received notification from my credit card that my refund has posted from MSC.  This was for prepaid items and port charges from the March 15th Meraviglia cancelled sailing. Even better news...It was the right amount.

Thanks.  This makes me feel slightly better.   Hopefully over the next few days we will see more reports of refunds coming in.

[BermudaBound2014]

It appears my response to the questions posed by Shipgeek and Cruiser Bruiser (post #51) triggered quite the discussion lol.

 

It's really quite simple. I answered the question posed which was:  "Are the other lines providing refunds?" . The answer was (and still is), YES! Other lines are providing refunds. I even went so far as to provide shipgeek and cruiser bruiser links to examples from cruise critic members which show other lines extending refunds for clarification. Note:  I never even remotely implied this delay was due to possible bankruptcy 😜

 

At the time of my response, I had not read one report of a cash back from MSC (here on CC or social media).  It is my understanding that since then, slei15 (a travel agent who selected FCC) replied that she was given a cash refund for prepaid items and port taxes. It's a start.

 

Again, this is all quite simple. Refunds are either being reported on or they aren't.  I stand firm in my belief that MSC shoreside is notoriously ill equipped and this lack of customer service is bound to spill over to the refund process.  Time will tell.  

 

PS: Several RCL cruisers are reporting that their March and early April refunds hit the bank this week. I can only speak for myself, but as an early April Seaside Cruiser, I have yet to see a refund from MSC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[merryandrew]

A friend and I were booked to cruise with MSC departing 20 March 2020. MSC formally confirmed they were cancelling the cruise on 19 March. We have repeatedly requested a full refund, but they are trying to fob us off with a FCC. We have now been told by MSC that if we can't redeem the FCC by 31 January 2021we can then 'request a refund' which will take up to 120 days to process ie to May 2021, 14 months after our original sailing date. Do you reckon I am just 'mouthing off at every opportunity'?

[Até]

3 hours ago, Formula280SS said:

Again, it's not really unique to MSC and, to the point of the thread, it doesn't mean they are going bankrupt.  If one would look at the BIG 3 and how much they are using for cash flow preservation, it is simply inequitable to claim MSC is the only culprit and doing it to avoid bankruptcy.

If you look at my post you will see the first two sentences state most cruise lines are doing the same, I never have said this is unique to MSC.  I've also stated I don't feel MSC would need to file for bankruptcy, but the OP's link between the delay of refunds and a possible bankruptcy isn't unrealistic.   There are other cruise lines that have been much more proactive in getting refunds to passengers, so not all cruise companies have spent their customer's deposits/payments to the extent they don't have enough money available to cover their refund obligations.  The fact is MSC is delaying refunds not due to the clarge volume of cancellations as claimed but for cash preservation which clearly indicates the company is under and/or expects financial strain.  Unfortunately they aren't going to say it like that, long processing times due to heavy loads sounds a lot better PR wise than we need to keep your money as a loan.

 

So I agree a lot of cruise lines are employing this refund delay tactic.  But both the forced FCC's and refund delays are being done to prevent being driven rapidly into bankruptcy.  MSC happens to be the one I'm dealing with and why I'm posting on the MSC boards, the fact other lines have similar tactics is pretty irrelevant and not a justification.  Unfortunately I do feel there could still be less cruise lines around by the time this is over, and bankruptcy is a viable tool that any corporation is going to consider to increase the chances they survive in some form.  Most cruise companies are being forced to take (high interest) loans or dilute their common stock for a chance at long term survival and start paying back the refunds they owe and cover their basic costs to stay alive.  I haven't seen published plans where MSC is going to get the money from, but I'm sure they will or possibly already have.

 

At first I was understanding and didn't mind too much the refunds that I was told would take 5 to 7 days were 30 days out.  I didn't rush to cancel my many bookings through the end of 2021.  I felt I was doing my part to help MSC endure this "hardship".  I put that in quotes because I really wonder how bad it could initially be, to me they seem in a better situation than most US focused cruise lines.  MSC were only (supposedly) refunding US bookings and that's a good bit less less than the 14% of their total North American sales.  And at the time most European county's refunds were/are being significantly delayed by political maneuvering.   But now it's two months later and I don't like being forced to give a zero interest loan to a company that I know is under growing financial difficulty, a company that would be remiss to never consider bankruptcy.

 

Then came the US new Booking Terms changes we are now forced to agree to regardless of our booking date, another money held hostage situation in the making.  In total it all gives a different meaning to their slogan "We're all in this together" that I didn't agree to.  I'm not an investor in their company, I'm a customer who purchases a product.  I'm a fairly pro MSC person and I'm out for the foreseeable future, maybe a last minute booking in a year or so to use up a FCC I have.  So in reality their financial preservation methods are causing even more future financial uncertainty.  To me it's classic MSC, where their hasty actions/reactions can cause greater harm to themselves.  So no, I wouldn't rule out a financial restructuring - and that also goes for several other cruise lines.  If it happens then hopefully it is after customers get currently owed refunds and use their forced FCC.  Those who voluntarily take FCCs and book under the current terms are the investors who thereby willingly assess how small the chances are of MSC going bankrupt.

[Formula280SS]

16 minutes ago, Até said:

The fact is MSC is delaying refunds not due to the clarge volume of cancellations as claimed but for cash preservation which clearly indicates the company is under and/or expects financial strain. 

 

I haven't seen published plans where MSC is going to get the money from, but I'm sure they will or possibly already have.

 

Then came the US new Booking Terms changes we are now forced to agree to regardless of our booking date, another money held hostage situation in the making. 

 

So in reality their financial preservation methods are causing even more future financial uncertainty.  To me it's classic MSC, where their hasty actions/reactions can cause greater harm to themselves.  So no, I wouldn't rule out a financial restructuring - and that also goes for several other cruise lines.  If it happens then hopefully it is after customers get currently owed refunds and use their forced FCC.  Those who voluntarily take FCCs and book under the current terms are the investors who thereby willingly assess how small the chances are of MSC going bankrupt.

 

So, given such a thought process, and reading the following, DISNEY is about to file for bankruptcy?

 

Here's the plan with regard to those with reservations for resorts and or park tickets.

 

"Disney resort reservations are being accepted for July 1 and later, the hospitality and entertainment giant said in a recently updated statement on Walt Disney World Resort Operations. However, an official reopen date for hotels and theme parks have not been identified, and could very well take place before or after tentative reservations.

 

If Disney’s hotels and parks remain closed for guests who have made reservations, they will be able to modify these bookings.

 

Unexpired multi-day theme park tickets with unused days or date-specific tickets with a valid use period starting on March 12 through the closure will automatically be extended through December 15. Guests who are unable to visit by this date may apply the value of their wholly unused ticket toward the purchase of a future ticket."

 

There is no cash refund option in this announcement.

[aprilF]

1 hour ago, Formula280SS said:

 

So, given such a thought process, and reading the following, DISNEY is about to file for bankruptcy?

 

Here's the plan with regard to those with reservations for resorts and or park tickets.

 

"Disney resort reservations are being accepted for July 1 and later, the hospitality and entertainment giant said in a recently updated statement on Walt Disney World Resort Operations. However, an official reopen date for hotels and theme parks have not been identified, and could very well take place before or after tentative reservations.

 

If Disney’s hotels and parks remain closed for guests who have made reservations, they will be able to modify these bookings.

 

Unexpired multi-day theme park tickets with unused days or date-specific tickets with a valid use period starting on March 12 through the closure will automatically be extended through December 15. Guests who are unable to visit by this date may apply the value of their wholly unused ticket toward the purchase of a future ticket."

 

There is no cash refund option in this announcement.

It is not in the announcement but you typically have a much longer window to cancel penalty free at the resorts.  I believe it is 7 days out IIRC.  There is no big outcry that this has been modified on the DIS board I frequent so I am guessing that there has been no modification to this policy.  Without doing research or booking my own trip this is the best reply that I can give to this post.

 

FWIW people on that DIS board have found plenty to complain about so I dont think it's some magical Disney spell that has people not complaining, I believe the cancellation terms were not modified.

[Até]

I'm sure the Disney resorts are stressed, probably not as much as their cruise line.  But sure, any corporation that has more debts and expenses than forecast income can be a victim of a cash flow crisis and would be fools to not consider a financial debt restructuring if it is in their long term best interest.  I don't know how possible, but I can say it's greater than it was four months ago.  As a customer I would really not want to be involved especially if legally I had the right to get my money and let them figure it out.  I really don't know Disney's policies on theme park tickets and hotel bookings so I can't say if a no refund policy is fair.  As for MSC I do know the policies when I booked and I'm entitled to a prompt refund,  I have no interest in being held hostage as an investor in a company that does have an increased chance of writing me off as an unsecured creditor.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Até

[Formula280SS]

4 minutes ago, aprilF said:

It is not in the announcement but you typically have a much longer window to cancel penalty free at the resorts.  I believe it is 7 days out IIRC.  There is no big outcry that this has been modified on the DIS board I frequent so I am guessing that there has been no modification to this policy.  Without doing research or booking my own trip this is the best reply that I can give to this post.

 

FWIW people on that DIS board have found plenty to complain about so I dont think it's some magical Disney spell that has people not complaining, I believe the cancellation terms were not modified.

 

Used to read the DIS board quite a bit; great information.

 

The policy noted was very current, if it is the current policy there would be no outcry.

 

The reference was not to DIS as a policy change; just that there was a proffer that if a company didn't give cash refunds it was because it was going to go bankrupt.

 

This snippet that was posted was from Dow Jones news on my stock trading platform.

 

My point was to dispel the dictum that if cash refunds were not available, the company was facing impending bankruptcy.

 

I've posted CCL's, NCL's RCL's huge customer deposits relative to MSC's.  

 

Also have posted the Big 3 capital debt and equity raises still don't even more than cover Customer Deposits.

 

So, MSC is the bad guy, alone.  Yet DIS has the same policy per the financial news release.

 

MSC has a parent shipping company, they're private and the owners are in the top 230 billionaires in the world.

 

I wish the other poster could get his/her cash refund; but in the absence, I just don't believe for a minute that it means MSC is going bankrupt, nor Disney.

 

 

[GatorMomInNC]

On 5/11/2020 at 10:28 PM, slei15 said:

Off topic a little, but I was speaking to a Carnival rep today for a client and found out the significant issues with the refund process. It applies to most cruise lines the way the systems were designed for convenience in normal operating times. The system is set up to automatically charge cancellation penalties when a cruise is canceled. Due to this, they have to manually enter every reservation, override the penalties, determine if it is FCC or refund, ensure the appropriate amount is set to refund, and have the refund processed by the revenue accounting team, which are not large teams at any of the cruise lines. Carnival at this point is not giving a timeframe for refunds, as they are so overwhelmed and they have no clue when they will get through it all. They are going cruise by cruise, while also trying to go about the necessary everyday business and keep things going for the future. All of this while dealing with significant furloughs and layoffs, which frankly are a part of how they are saving the cash to be able to refund. It is a slow process for every cruise line, but they also know that if they end up screwing thousands of customers by not refunding, they will not have anyone feel safe enough to ever book again. The refunds will happen, but they will take a significant amount of time. It is frustrating for everyone. Please also know, if you booked through a travel agent and dispute the charge on your credit card because you lose patience, the cruise line can ultimately charge the travel agent back for the full amount of the disthe pute. 

 

 

This makes sense for cancelled cruises.  My cruise was not cancelled.  I opted to cancel within my time frame to receive a full refund.  This should be a fairly simple and common occurence.   I am at 73 days and counting to get a refund.  I am way past when they told my travel agent 12 days.  I asked for my refund on March 2nd when MSC was still sailing and hadn't begun to cancel cruises.     

 

I cancelled my on board excursions, etc, a few days earlier (on 2/26) and refund was immediately posted to my account, in real time, obviously without any need for a real person, as I cancelled in the middle of the night (3am), got an immediate email confirmation and showed up on my credit card immediately.  So if those kind of onboard charges now take time, then they are no longer automatically refunding.  Maybe this is for some other reason but I am concerned they are doling out the refunds for prepaid packages because they don't have enough money to do them automatically, which means if they are short of those funds, they are short of funds to pay back people like myself who want their prepaid cruises back.  

[Até]

I was bored so looked at the Disney cancellation terms.  For park only time limited ticket holders it looks like you only can get an extension until Dec, 2020 and after that can apply value towards another ticket purchase.  For people with resort hotel and park ticket reservations starting March 15th they gave a refund back to original form of payment and waived any penalties.  This has now been extended to June 8th bookings and Disney has not been accepting any further reservations until July 1, so likely Disney will probably end up cancelling and refunding all those reservations during any extended closure period also. 

 

The normal refund policy does not seem to have changed for any future bookings.  A $200 deposit is required and full payment is due at 30 days out, you can cancel for deposit refund w/o penalty any time before final payment date.  After the day 30 final payment you can still cancel for refund up to day two but will lose the $200.  Cancellation after one day out will lose entire amount.  No mention of anything pertaining to no cash refunds.  Just a quick glance at the Disney forums yields most posters indicated they got their cancellation refunds within a few days.  Disney recently took out $17.5 billion in credit lines, for the first time cut their cash dividend, made massive layoffs and there's much discussion regarding their cash flow problems.  Even with a generous refund policy will I be booking a Disney vacation anytime soon?  No.

 

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/terms-conditions-travel-agent-package-2020/

 

https://www.disboards.com/

[Roger88]

I doubt that they will go bankrupt anytime soon. I am sure such plans are there but in case their management changes everything can turn up side down. Moreover, its not the first case when the company anounces going bankrupt. I ve heard it many times in the past months and nothing there was any close to going bankrupt. I think its somehow connected with financial organizations which I know nothing about 

[Formula280SS]

4 hours ago, Até said:

I was bored so looked at the Disney cancellation terms.  For park only time limited ticket holders it looks like you only can get an extension until Dec, 2020 and after that can apply value towards another ticket purchase.  For people with resort hotel and park ticket reservations starting March 15th they gave a refund back to original form of payment and waived any penalties.  This has now been extended to June 8th bookings and Disney has not been accepting any further reservations until July 1, so likely Disney will probably end up cancelling and refunding all those reservations during any extended closure period also. 

 

 

Ate' that is correct.  We were booked (us and 2 grandkids 8 & 6) for 10-days June 6 - 16th at Grand Floridian (one night deposit) and 7 Day Park Hopper and Water Parks (couple thousand dollars).  The resort reservation was automatic.  The park tickets were not and had to personally speak to a "manager" to get that credited back to our credit card.  If they had offered a FUTURE PARK CREDIT +25% on a dollar basis we would have taken it (there is significant discounting and packaging going on for 2020 bookings).

 

Would go in the Fall or over the Winter?  Yes, likely, if their policies are appropriate.  Everyone is aware of the hands-face and social distancing and alcohol sanitizers and soap and water protocols.

 

However, those are 'reactive.

 

As well as the airlines, cruise lines and resorts like Disney implementing significant PRE-SCREENING of guests and INCREASED SANITIZATION procedures in rooms, public places and attractions.

 

Based upon what we learned during the 2-Week "lock down to BEND the CURVE" (heading in MONTH 3 of that), it's time to protect and preclude THOSE AT RISK from going out (airlines, cruise ships and resorts like Disney) until a therapeutic and vaccine are developed.

 

Until then:

 

THOSE AT RISK - CDC (in addition to ?

 

High-Risk Conditions

COVID-19 is a new disease and there is limited information regarding risk factors for severe disease. Based on currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

 

Based upon available information to date, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 include:

• People 65 years and older
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility

People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including

• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
• People who have serious heart conditions
• People who are immunocompromised
  • Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including  cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.
• People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
• People with diabetes
• People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
• People with liver disease

 

UR have accounted to 98%+ of all deaths, and, combined with AGE, if we knew THIS 'back THEN, we probably would have fared better; hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by Formula280SS

[sidari]

There around 100 kids in the UK who have been hospitalised with an illness linked to the virus some in Intensive care, the youngest death was a 3 week old baby and yesterday a 15 year old.

These are just a few youngsters who had the virus and had no underlying illness.

[GatorMomInNC]

 

So here is the update to my story.  June 20th Venice Cruise.  Prepaid in full in July 2019. 

Late February began to get nervous about cruising, cancelled all onboard prepaid activities and was refunded automatically.

March 2nd, called TA and cancelled my cruise well within time frame to receive full refund.  Was told "up to 2 billing cycles" for refund. 

Called a couple times to check in and was told by TA that they can see on MSC site that my refund was being processed. 

4/20 MSC told my TA they had processed refund, it would be 12 more days (I thought my TA told me 10 days, but they keep notes of all our conversations and their notes said 12 days).  

Called at 12 days and they said it should be anytime now. 

Called today.  75 days and counting since I cancelled.  26 days since MSC said 12 days. 

MSC has now told my TA they will not BEGIN my refund until my sail date and then it will take 2 billing cycles.  My TA argued with them, pointed out that I had cancelled within my time frame to get a full refund, no reason needed, that they had told us repeatedly they were processing and she went over all the different calls and different stories we were told.  MSC says they don't care that is what they are doing. 

So MSC is totally just lying to everyone and changing their story on a daily basis.  They have spent my money and don't have it to give back to me.   Given their dishonesty and incompetence, I fully expect they are going to declare bankruptcy and keep my money.  I have no faith in them whatsoever.

I want to book a cruise next summer before prices go up (obviously not with MSC) but they have all my money - and to be clear, by money I mean my actual cash deposit, and my reward points which have cash value. 

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

There around 100 kids in the UK who have been hospitalised with an illness linked to the virus some in Intensive care, the youngest death was a 3 week old baby and yesterday a 15 year old.

These are just a few youngsters who had the virus and had no underlying illness.

Sid, the UK media reported that the 3 week old had a severe underlying condition. No idea re the 15 year old tbf. 

[phissy]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

There around 100 kids in the UK who have been hospitalised with an illness linked to the virus some in Intensive care, the youngest death was a 3 week old baby and yesterday a 15 year old.

These are just a few youngsters who had the virus and had no underlying illness.

This is being characterized as PIMS here in the US. Pediatric Inflammatory Multiorgan Syndrome.  It mimics Kawasaki Syndrome.  Covid seems to cause inflammation of circulatory/ organ systems in children.   Before long, we will hear more about how this virus can cause havoc.

[neptuno]

2 hours ago, cruisingator2 said:

... My credit card company will not play games with MSC...

This is the best way one can secure a refund, challenge the credit card billing.

[chisoxfan]

I was being (in my mind) 'patient' waiting for return of a deposit for a cancelled  MSC Jan. cruise... first was told 30 days for credit and then 60 with no follow up by MSC or refund.

I finally contacted my CC issuer and asked to be credited for this cruise along with two HAL cruises. In the case of the HAL cruises which were booked under 60 days ago I could do a dispute on line. For my MSC cruise deposited last year I had to call to initiate the dispute which was not an issue except for time on the phone.

In retrospect I am thinking I was stupid to wait past 30 days before disputing - the smart thing to do was to dispute immediately when the cancellation is made.  As stated  by many posters this is a business transaction. Somehow I don't think MSC or any cruise line would be understanding if I asked for 'another month' to make a final cruise payment nor would I expect them to do this.   

As an aside I cancelled a trip to France upcoming in July. I received prompt and friendly cancellation confirmations immediately.  One D-Day tour I booked and paid approx 250 dollars upfront for I thought might be an issue.  Certainly. I reasoned, this is a small tour company that must be decimated by the crisis and if the billion dollar cruise lines cannot raise enough money to refund customers promptly, what can I expect from this small tour company. 

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an immediate reply with the promise of a full refund within 7 days.  

[BermudaBound2014]

Disney is such a diverse company that I don't see them struggling to recover in the same manner as the cruise industry. I do a bit of day trading for fun, and Disney stock has been good to me the last few months. I suspect another rally once movie theaters open (or Disney starts to sell new releases for at home viewing). Apparently they have quite the revenue stream coming in new release movies.

 

Cruising is an entirely different matter. Cruising has significantly more hoops to jump through before resuming, and I'm more and more convinced that cruise industry is going to take disproportionate hard hit in the economic fallout from Corona. Not to mention that the media has painted the cruise industry as giant 'petri-dishes', an image that will not quickly be forgotten. I absolutely do not expect all cruise lines to weather this storm.

 

I suspect MSC cruises might be better positioned to survive the storm, but their current lack of customer service regarding refunds is not promoting consumer confidence. And certainly, not all cruise lines are refunding money to all guests in a timely fashion, it appears some cruise lines are doing MUCH better than MSC in their refund process. Here is a report of RCL actually refunding guests cash in advance of cancelled cruise departure dates. NOW THIS IS CUSTOMER SERVICE! 

 

Meanwhile, I'm past 60 days and have heard nothing from MSC.

[aprilF]

On 5/15/2020 at 4:05 PM, GatorMomInNC said:

 

So here is the update to my story.  June 20th Venice Cruise.  Prepaid in full in July 2019. 

Late February began to get nervous about cruising, cancelled all onboard prepaid activities and was refunded automatically.

March 2nd, called TA and cancelled my cruise well within time frame to receive full refund.  Was told "up to 2 billing cycles" for refund. 

Called a couple times to check in and was told by TA that they can see on MSC site that my refund was being processed. 

4/20 MSC told my TA they had processed refund, it would be 12 more days (I thought my TA told me 10 days, but they keep notes of all our conversations and their notes said 12 days).  

Called at 12 days and they said it should be anytime now. 

Called today.  75 days and counting since I cancelled.  26 days since MSC said 12 days. 

MSC has now told my TA they will not BEGIN my refund until my sail date and then it will take 2 billing cycles.  My TA argued with them, pointed out that I had cancelled within my time frame to get a full refund, no reason needed, that they had told us repeatedly they were processing and she went over all the different calls and different stories we were told.  MSC says they don't care that is what they are doing. 

So MSC is totally just lying to everyone and changing their story on a daily basis.  They have spent my money and don't have it to give back to me.   Given their dishonesty and incompetence, I fully expect they are going to declare bankruptcy and keep my money.  I have no faith in them whatsoever.

I want to book a cruise next summer before prices go up (obviously not with MSC) but they have all my money - and to be clear, by money I mean my actual cash deposit, and my reward points which have cash value. 

I'm so sorry GatorMomNC.  Of all the people getting screwed by MSC at the moment, yours seems particularly bad.  Based on your story I cant ever see a promotion that will make it worth it to pay in full so far in advance, I will hold onto my money until the last minute now.  Thanks for that.

 

On 5/15/2020 at 9:09 PM, cruisingator2 said:

I got tired of their games. I received an email stating that I had asked for a refund and the expected timeline from MSC. Three calls to MSC and three different stories. I went online and disputed the charges with my credit card company last week. Within twenty-four hours I had a credit on my account for the total disputed amount. I’m no longer worried. My credit card company will not play games with MSC. I suggest doing the same thing. Ignore the cheerleaders on this board who feel that everyone should kiss MSC’s backside. MSC is a business and not a charity. 

We also still had no refund this morning, six weeks after we were told we should have received the refund.  We filed disputes on our two charges as well (the deposit plus the bulk of the payment).  If someone is filing a dispute, please dont forget your charges are likely spread out over more than one payment!

[GatorMomInNC]

Sorry cruisingator, but I think you need to not count your chickens before they hatch.  When you dispute a charge you don't get your money back that quickly from your CC.  They may post a credit so you don't have to make a payment while they investigate, but your CC is not going to pay you the money until they get it from the business one way or another.   Otherwise they are just out the money instead of you.  The only exception would be if this is a charge you just made and the CC has not yet paid the business.  But for most of us, also, we did these charges a long time ago and the CC has given the money to MSC.  I think the chances that our CC is going to be able to get our money from MSC is about as good as ours has been - nothing.  

[neptuno]

lucky 'brits have more consumer protection.

[Cruising89143]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:22 AM, GatorMomInNC said:

Sorry cruisingator, but I think you need to not count your chickens before they hatch.  When you dispute a charge you don't get your money back that quickly from your CC.  They may post a credit so you don't have to make a payment while they investigate, but your CC is not going to pay you the money until they get it from the business one way or another.   Otherwise they are just out the money instead of you.  The only exception would be if this is a charge you just made and the CC has not yet paid the business.  But for most of us, also, we did these charges a long time ago and the CC has given the money to MSC.  I think the chances that our CC is going to be able to get our money from MSC is about as good as ours has been - nothing.  

I am aware of how this works.  Was told that MSC has thirty days to respond or the cc company will move to the next step. It’s better than waiting around for MSC to be pro active on refunding the money. 

[neptuno]

Well, having loved MSC and been unrequited when they changed the Club Rules, we would have been Black Card now.  But, knowing that MSC is just looking out for nobody but  themselves, not even customer loyalty, we are convinced they are still a CARGO line.  And I say this hoping they will listen...and invest in their customer relations.

[Hlitner]

Filing a dispute is exactly the right course at this point.  If nothing else you have gone on record with the credit card company (and stopped their clock where it concerns time limits to file).  How it is handled by the credit card company depends on which company.  Over the years we have found AMEX to be the best (and most responsive) and they will often restore your funds within hours or days.  Other cards do seem to take longer.  We recently filed a charge back request (because of a European airline bankruptcy) with Chase and it took about 15 days for them to give us the credit.  But our case was clear-cut and easy to verify.  In your case it does sound a bit more complicated.  Give your credit card company a couple of weeks and then make a polite inquiry as to the status of your charge-back request.   Make sure you keep a record of all e-mails, correspondence, etc.  It would also be nice to have the TAs opinion in writing as the cruise lines will sometimes argue that the TA "owns" the reservation and all dealing must be through that TA.

 

I think we all have to cognizant that this COVID-19 thing is an unusual event.  Cruise lines are processing over 100,000 refunds and FCC requests and they must do this with their offices shut down by the various States.  In many cases employees are working from home and there have also been industry wide employee layoffs.  None of this is an excuse to jerk around customers but it is an explanation.

 

We have cruised with 14 different cruise lines and MSC-USA has the worst customer service of any of those lines.   I think part of the problem is that they are still a relatively small player in the USA market and do not have anywhere near the number of employees and contractors to handle this COVID-19 mess.  We actually know of 2 (and there are likely many more) major cruise agencies that simply refuse to deal with MSC because the customer service lapses even extend to the cruise/travel agencies.  But if you look at most of the other cruise line blogs you will see similar issues regarding refunds.  It is simply a MESS.

 

Hank