MSC Changed My Cruise Dates - Jeddah to Trieste April 2023

[e058874]

Not only did they mess with the departure. Luckily I did not book until after they changed to Depart on 4/12/23 but that was a stretch to take that much time off work. Now now they have changed the return by a day and now the airfare I have booked out of Venice will no longer work. I never got any notice they changed the return date from April 29 to April 30th now. If it was not for me looking on the website for tour info, I would not have known this. I cannot take any more time off work. So I am asking them if I can depart the cruise in Athens. Easier to get airfare out of Athens then the other ports Kotor and Bari at the end of the cruise. I want to keep the departure at Jeddah as that was the reason we booked this and my airfare is already locked in for that. The rep said the only way to do that is a "break in voyage" which cannot be arranged in advance. That you have to do on the ship. Has anyone ever done this? I am concerned if this does not work, then I have airfare from Athens and no way to get off the ship. You have to process through customs etc. HELP!!!!! Any suggestions other than just cancel the whole thing!!!

[cwistyred]

We are also trying to change elements of the trip. We are happy that they have added Bari, as that is where my family is from, and we have never been there. We are trying to change our embarkation to Sokhna instead of Safaga. Not having much luck at this point, but have emailed MSC with our request.

As to leaving the cruise early, from everything that I have ever heard or read, that has to be arranged ahead of time. I would definitely call and email again. I cannot imagine that this is something you would do on the fly.

[perakcruiser]

15 hours ago, e058874 said:

Easier to get airfare out of Athens then the other ports Kotor and Bari at the end of the cruise.

Don´t even think about Kotor, this is non-schengen area! 

 

Bari is a port where many people will embark/disembark, so this should not be a problem at all. And the train to your preferred airport in Italy should be VERY cheap if you book it so far in advance. 

 

6 hours ago, cwistyred said:

As to leaving the cruise early, from everything that I have ever heard or read, that has to be arranged ahead of time. I would definitely call and email again. I cannot imagine that this is something you would do on the fly.

This is probably true for most cruise lines but not for MSC in the Med. 

[mscdivina2016]

9 hours ago, cwistyred said:

We are also trying to change elements of the trip. We are happy that they have added Bari, as that is where my family is from, and we have never been there. We are trying to change our embarkation to Sokhna instead of Safaga. Not having much luck at this point, but have emailed MSC with our request.

As to leaving the cruise early, from everything that I have ever heard or read, that has to be arranged ahead of time. I would definitely call and email again. I cannot imagine that this is something you would do on the fly.

I have left several cruises early pre Covid. Or should I say I broke my voyage.

Post Covid I have been denied multiple times by MSC and NCL.

I have only left one MSC cruise early and that was in Barcelona.

  You actually have to do it on the ship.

Stupid!

I was told the port needs immigration services to do so.

 

Now pre Covid was easy, no Covid for countries to worry about. Now.....it's hit or miss.

 

MSC is not going to email you nor tell you on the phone it's okay.

They can't even get this voyage right.

I ended up flying the day we get off to Frankfort, getting a hotel that night and then flying to Orlando the next day.

I don't trust MSC anymore as I have had issues and ongoing issues with bookings.

 

I too would prefer Bari to get off but at this time won't risk it.

 

If you risk it, get refundable Air from both ports and cancel one as they may not give you the okay until 24 hours prior. Mine was 48 hours.

Edited September 15, 2022 by mscdivina2016

[perakcruiser]

22 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Post Covid I have been denied multiple times by MSC and NCL.

You should write where MSC denied you. I don´t believe that MSC would ever deny to get off in one of their schengen ports in the Med that anyway have lots of pax embarking and disembarking. Not to talk about the above case leaving the cruise in Bari instead of Venice one day later. 

[mscdivina2016]

8 minutes ago, perakcruiser said:

You should write where MSC denied you. I don´t believe that MSC would ever deny to get off in one of their schengen ports in the Med that anyway have lots of pax embarking and disembarking. Not to talk about the above case leaving the cruise in Bari instead of Venice one day later. 

The last denial was earlier this year.

I was on a 14 night deep southern carribbean cruise. Wanted to get off in St.lucia 

 

Next denial is/was on NCL for next month. Wanted to get off in Maui ( I think) a day earlier.

 

The cruise at hand here ends in Trieste and after Bari, there is a Sea day.

You are 100% correct about ports where people get on and off. Those should not be an issue. But it is MSC.

[perakcruiser]

1 hour ago, mscdivina2016 said:

But it is MSC.

You are right. With the other things also. When it comes to places out of their home market (the Med), then things are totally different, I would not expect they let you off somewhere in the Caribbean or the Middle East. 

[DoubleSix]

I don't know why they added in the extra day at sea from Bari to Trieste. If they could have made it from Kotor to Trieste overnight, there is no reason they could not have made it from Bari to Trieste overnight.  It is like they want to do the most just to antagonize their customers. 

[SirWolf]

11 minutes ago, DoubleSix said:

I don't know why they added in the extra day at sea from Bari to Trieste. If they could have made it from Kotor to Trieste overnight, there is no reason they could not have made it from Bari to Trieste overnight.  It is like they want to do the most just to antagonize their customers. 

 

The Day at Sea was in the original itinerary.

• Thursday 04/27/2023 - Kotor, Montenegro

• Friday 04/28/2023 - At Sea

• Saturday 04/29/2023 - Trieste, Italy

 

They added one day in Bari, Italy.

Edited September 15, 2022 by SirWolf

[DoubleSix]

Just now, SirWolf said:

 

The Day at Sea was in the original itinerary.

• Thursday - 04/27/2022 - Kotor, Montenegro

• Friday - 04/28/2022 - At Sea

• Saturday - 04/29/2022 - Trieste, Italy

 

They added one day in Bari, Italy.

Oh my bad 🤣

[awhcruiser]

 

[Aussie Jeep]

so reading the above it sounds like we will be able to leave the ship in Bari without issue  Does anyone know do we need to do the 'immigration' work on the ship or in the port?  Anyone with previous experience on this?  Thanks

[mscdivina2016]

2 minutes ago, Aussie Jeep said:

so reading the above it sounds like we will be able to leave the ship in Bari without issue  Does anyone know do we need to do the 'immigration' work on the ship or in the port?  Anyone with previous experience on this?  Thanks

If MSC takes on passengers at Bari, then probably yes .

 

Don't count on it until your on the ship.

The immigration was at the port at the gangway. But I was a USA citizen getting off in Spain.

 

We had to go to purser's desk, sign a form and they escorted us to the gangway where a customs guy was waiting for us.

We then walked off with our luggage.

[alle685]

For those of you who received your Important Notice email, what options did they provide? Is it the same generic email received the last time or are they providing any other type of compensation?

[mscdivina2016]

39 minutes ago, alle685 said:

For those of you who received your Important Notice email, what options did they provide? Is it the same generic email received the last time or are they providing any other type of compensation?

Same generic email.