Why can't I see options to book specialty dining & spa in my MSC account?

[Valpacino]

Hi everyone, Come October I will be another refugee from Celebrity taking the plunge in YC on Seascape.  Thank you to Morpheus & GenerationX for their excellent reviews and observations.  They've convinced me to try out the YC experience as the prices in The Retreat reach eye watering levels.  We sailed in the Retreat last November on the Beyond.  We booked a year prior to that trip whilst on board the Edge in November 21 during the pandemic so got a great price & OBC.  Whilst the Beyond was beautiful & our cabin was very nice, we were underwhelmed by the service & quality of food on the Beyond, with the exception of Le Voyage which was excellent.  I just cannot justify the pricing of Retreat for what we felt was average food & poor service, especially in the pool deck area of the Retreat.

 

So here's my question.  We cruise in 100 day's time.  When I log in to my MSC account I am not being given any options to book specialty dining or spa services.  Is it because I'm too far out from cruise date & the website only allows you to book this stuff a certain time in advance?  Or is it because we haven't paid our final balance yet which is due shortly?  I am mindful a lot of posters here mention that MSC apps & website can have issues so just wondering if it's a glitch in their website or there is a policy about when guests are allowed to book extras? 

 

Here is what I see what I see when I click on 'Plan my cruise' when I log in.  I only get 4 things to choose from - Excursions, Beverages, Spa & Internet etc.  No Specialty Dining option:

 

Then when I click on the spa tab, I only get the 4 options below.  No complete menu of services to choose from.

 

 

 

 

Am I doing something wrong or missing something?  Any pointers on how this all works would be most appreciated!

 

 

[JT1962]

14 minutes ago, Valpacino said:

Hi everyone, Come October I will be another refugee from Celebrity taking the plunge in YC on Seascape.  Thank you to Morpheus & GenerationX for their excellent reviews and observations.  They've convinced me to try out the YC experience as the prices in The Retreat reach eye watering levels.  We sailed in the Retreat last November on the Beyond.  We booked a year prior to that trip whilst on board the Edge in November 21 during the pandemic so got a great price & OBC.  Whilst the Beyond was beautiful & our cabin was very nice, we were underwhelmed by the service & quality of food on the Beyond, with the exception of Le Voyage which was excellent.  I just cannot justify the pricing of Retreat for what we felt was average food & poor service, especially in the pool deck area of the Retreat.

 

So here's my question.  We cruise in 100 day's time.  When I log in to my MSC account I am not being given any options to book specialty dining or spa services.  Is it because I'm too far out from cruise date & the website only allows you to book this stuff a certain time in advance?  Or is it because we haven't paid our final balance yet which is due shortly?  I am mindful a lot of posters here mention that MSC apps & website can have issues so just wondering if it's a glitch in their website or there is a policy about when guests are allowed to book extras? 

 

Here is what I see what I see when I click on 'Plan my cruise' when I log in.  I only get 4 things to choose from - Excursions, Beverages, Spa & Internet etc.  No Specialty Dining option:

 

Then when I click on the spa tab, I only get the 4 options below.  No complete menu of services to choose from.

 

 

 

 

Am I doing something wrong or missing something?  Any pointers on how this all works would be most appreciated!

 

 

I am on the Seashore in October from Genoa to Port Canaveral and have similar issues. I haven’t checked Spa options, but there are no Specialty Dining Options available and limited excursion options in a few ports, with no excursions listed for 3 ports.
 

I have called and emailed MSC several times in the last few months and have gotten a different answer each time (as usual for MSC). Replies included “They are fully booked”, “They will be posted as you get closer to your sailing date”, “You can’t book until you board the ship”, etc. 

 

My guess is it is a typical MSC IT issue and may be related to the fact that people can board the sailing at multiple ports (Rome, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, etc) and that they have different websites for each country. Others in the social media group for the cruise in other countries and / or boarding at different ports are able to book dining, excursions, etc. 

[mmbcater]

You will actually book your spa onboard. As far as the Specialty dining-they will sell them on the ship for the same cost-some days they even have specials 

[Rhea98]

17 hours ago, JT1962 said:

I am on the Seashore in October from Genoa to Port Canaveral and have similar issues. I haven’t checked Spa options, but there are no Specialty Dining Options available and limited excursion options in a few ports, with no excursions listed for 3 ports. ...

We're on the same. I was able to book the Thermal Spa passes Feb 23. I'm sort of expecting S. Dining to open up at Day 90--which may mean that those boarding at Civitavecchia are closer to that timeframe and, hopefully, will report on the roll call. I did notice some excursions show up a month or more ago. As we're not interested, I didn't pay much attention tot he choices.

[Mark_T]

7 hours ago, mmbcater said:

As far as the Specialty dining-they will sell them on the ship for the same cost-some days they even have specials 

There is usually a Yacht Club offer that is only available before boarding though...

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

On 7/21/2023 at 2:45 PM, JT1962 said:

I am on the Seashore in October from Genoa to Port Canaveral and have similar issues. I haven’t checked Spa options, but there are no Specialty Dining Options available and limited excursion options in a few ports, with no excursions listed for 3 ports.
 

 

On 7/22/2023 at 7:55 AM, Rhea98 said:

We're on the same. I was able to book the Thermal Spa passes Feb 23. I'm sort of expecting S. Dining to open up at Day 90--which may mean that those boarding at Civitavecchia are closer to that timeframe and, hopefully, will report on the roll call. I did notice some excursions show up a month or more ago. As we're not interested, I didn't pay much attention tot he choices.

 

I am on the TA with you both and have never had options during initial booking last November or since,  for specialty dining, but, have always had options for Excursions.  I booked the spa pass some months ago.  The thing that irks me is that, at various times when new promo pricing is added and I'm modeling costs, the Trilogy package has been available to book, but when I call MSC they will not sell it to me as an add-on.  This was the case just 2 weeks ago, in my most recent attempt.  Being that the online advertising always says it's on sale for 20% less than onboard, I really hope that any onboard pricing, at least, offers a 20% discount.  I cannot understand why this company is so woefully reluctant to take the money that I want to give them.

 

Edit to add that the price I saw most recently was also rather high for Trilogy at $200 pp.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[mom22frogs]

When I sailed on the Virtuosa two months ago some of the options that should have appeared (specialty dining, shows, etc.) never did. I called and got told IT knew and would fix it, but of course nothing happened. Then I called and tried to book and got told the travel agent you booked with has to handle it. Then the travel agent was given some line about how they just weren't available, all while the europeans going on the cruise that I was chatting with through FB were in fact booking those things. So the travel agent pushed harder and got things booked, but it was shall we say a harbinger of the disorganization MSC brings to their process. 
 

[JT1962]

44 minutes ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

 

I am on the TA with you both and have never had options during initial booking last November or since,  for specialty dining, but, have always had options for Excursions. 

Where are you boarding and departing the ship? I am boarding in Genoa and booked to Port Canaveral (before they added Miami). 
 

Do you see Excursions for Genoa, Barcelona and Santa Cruz de Tenerife? I see no excursions for those ports and only 3-4 for each of the other ports. 

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

22 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

Where are you boarding and departing the ship? I am boarding in Genoa and booked to Port Canaveral (before they added Miami). 
 

Do you see Excursions for Genoa, Barcelona and Santa Cruz de Tenerife? I see no excursions for those ports and only 3-4 for each of the other ports. 

 

 

Boarding Rome on the 22nd.  I have 3 listed for Genoa.  None for Santa Cruz or Barcelona.  

[mom22frogs]

12 hours ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

 

Boarding Rome on the 22nd.  I have 3 listed for Genoa.  None for Santa Cruz or Barcelona.  

The excursions that sell out disappear. There should be a pdf you can download that shows all the options. Is your time in port short? Ours shows Milan and longer options. If they’re in that pdf but not showing you could call the booking agent. They could be sold out.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

9 hours ago, mom22frogs said:

The excursions that sell out disappear. There should be a pdf you can download that shows all the options. Is your time in port short? Ours shows Milan and longer options. If they’re in that pdf but not showing you could call the booking agent. They could be sold out.

 

Are you on the same cruise? Seashore TA in October? 

 

I had checked the pdf before I posted the photo for the person that was asking.  It was the same 3 excursions and also had none for the other 2 ports he/she was questioning.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[mom22frogs]

44 minutes ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

Are you on the same cruise?

Nope, different ship. Looks like a great cruise though. I'm not sure what the difference is. We're in port an hour earlier than you and have quite a few options for Genoa. It's a bit earlier in the month and some of the options are going down to Portofino, etc. Is it possible they're seasonal and winding down by then? Dunno. And maybe losing one hour makes it tight on doing Milan? 

 

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

21 minutes ago, mom22frogs said:

Nope, different ship. Looks like a great cruise though. I'm not sure what the difference is. We're in port an hour earlier than you and have quite a few options for Genoa. It's a bit earlier in the month and some of the options are going down to Portofino, etc. Is it possible they're seasonal and winding down by then? Dunno. And maybe losing one hour makes it tight on doing Milan? 

 

 

Hmm.  Dunno.  Looks like the Milan excursion that you mentioned is 7.5 hours, same as the Portofino that is being offered, so time not a factor.  I found this web page with the other Genoa excursions missing from our list.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/italy/genoa

 

Did a land trip to Genoa and Milan last year and was pleasantly surprised by Genoa.  Beautiful Palazzos. Great foccaccia! Would pass on the aquarium.   Was just ok. Enjoy your cruise!

Edited July 24, 2023 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

22 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Where are you boarding and departing the ship? I am boarding in Genoa and booked to Port Canaveral (before they added Miami). 
 

Do you see Excursions for Genoa, Barcelona and Santa Cruz de Tenerife? I see no excursions for those ports and only 3-4 for each of the other ports. 

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/spain/barcelona

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/spain/canary-islands/santa-cruz-de-tenerife

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/italy/genoa

 

 

Above are lists of the usual MSC offerings.  Perhaps they'll be of use should you call MSC and inquire about booking any.

 

[JT1962]

11 minutes ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/spain/barcelona

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/spain/canary-islands/santa-cruz-de-tenerife

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/destinations/mediterranean/italy/genoa

 

 

Above are lists of the usual MSC offerings.  Perhaps they'll be of use should you call MSC and inquire about booking any.

 

Thank you.

[morpheusofthesea]

On 7/21/2023 at 2:17 PM, Valpacino said:

We sailed in the Retreat last November on the Beyond.

  We did as well. Loved the Edge more. Felt that because the Beyond was so new that Celebrity 'skimped' with the better shows. "Uptown" and "Charity Lockhart" were sent to Apex and Equinox, and we got these song and dance shows with no story line. (Be prepared for the same kind of production shows on the Seascape in the Chora Theatre). I reported on the lunch we had in Le Bistro that sent me to the toilet; the meringue flew off the table when DW tried to cut it in half, as hard as a hockey puck. The potato chips were stale at the Eden lunch counter, and every dessert had nuts mixed in which I try to avoid due to diverticulosis. The only venue we miss found on Celebrity and NOTHING like it found on MSC is the fabulous Cafe al Bacio, 12-14, delicious desserts (many offered there with no nuts).

  

Just a tip on Specialty Restaurant packages. One might want to wait to purchase specialty restaurant packages until one reads the 'limited' menu one is confined to. Also in the Daily Planner on our cruise in June 2023:

Monday All you can eat sushi for 45 minutes, $39 + 18% service

charge

Tuesday Ocean Cay Seafood Restaurant Only a la carte diners

Catch of the day (same for the week) one pound whole

sea bass $39 a second one free. Bottle wine-20%.

Kaito Teppanyaki 20% off set times 5:45 pm or 9:45 pm

Wednesday Ocean Cay same as Tuesday and Kaito Teppanyaki

20% off

Thursday All you can eat sushi for 45 minutes $39. Sea Day

Lunch Spectacular AllSpecialty Restaurants 20% off

and kids eat free +18% sc

Friday Ocean Cay same as Tues. and Wed.. Lunch in specialty

restaurants 30% off entire menu

Saturday Ocean Cay Restaurant and Kaito Teppanyaki same as

Tuesday. All SpecialtyRestaurants Sunset Dinner for 2

$99 including bottle of wine +18%sc

 After posting all this we found it completely unnecessary to eat in any Specialty Restaurant having Yacht Club Restaurant at ones disposal. Specialty Restaurants are for those that make the mistake of not booking a cabin in the YC. Found it is really MDR kitchen plated differently in a classier atmosphere.

   P.S. We paid $18,000 for the RS on the Beyond and it had a much smaller balcony only able to fit ONE UNCUSHIONED lounge chair. The RS on Seascape has a balcony 3 1/2 times larger with cushioned lounges and a complimentary pergola on the pool deck for $10,000. MSC is a NO BRAINER.

Edited July 24, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[Valpacino]

A quick update which some fellow MSC cruisers may find helpful.  Our party paid their final balance due in the past 24 hrs.  One of our group called in & spoke to customer service when paying their balance & asked the question on why they could not see specialty dining & spa services to book on their account.  The agent replied once final balance was paid, you should be able to book any extras in your MSC portal.  I waited the 24 hrs to make sure my account was up to date & then logged back in to my MSC account, only for it to look exactly the same with no option to book specific spa services (I can't even see a menu of services for Seascape on my account) or any specialty dining options.  All I can see are beverage packages & I don't need that as we're in YC so it's included.  There is something definitely off with the MSC portal you access as a future guest.

 

I started poking around elsewhere in my MSC account portal & ended up going to the site map at the bottom of the page.  On scrolling to I think about Page 2 of the site map I ran across an entry labelled as 'Specialty Dining'.  By clicking on that it took me to the page I was looking for where I can pick a restaurant I want to eat in & add it to my account.  We don't want a dining package,  We just want to sample a couple of the specialty restaurants a la carte with no restrictions.  I did the same with the spa but with not the same success unfortunately.  It looks like you need to talk to someone as they do not post the services on line for you to book as each ship has different facilities if I am following the blurb about spas correctly.  It is recommending going to the spa once on board & booking directly.  That's all fine except I don't want to leave it that late in case it gets booked out on the day/time I want to go.  I want to book it shoreside & in advance.  Same with the specialty dining.  We waited until we were on board X Beyond last November to book up the steakhouse, only to be told every day was booked solid until 11pm.  We asked our butler if they had any sway in that department to try & nab us a spot & got a swift no can do!  Therefore we never tried the steakhouse on Beyond.

 

So it looks like I may have solved 1 out of 2 of my issues.  Thank you to everyone who replied and participated so far in this thread.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

1 hour ago, Valpacino said:

 

I started poking around elsewhere in my MSC account portal & ended up going to the site map at the bottom of the page.  On scrolling to I think about Page 2 of the site map I ran across an entry labelled as 'Specialty Dining'.  By clicking on that it took me to the page I was looking for where I can pick a restaurant I want to eat in & add it to my account. 

 

So it looks like I may have solved 1 out of 2 of my issues.  Thank you to everyone who replied and participated so far in this thread.

 

 

I had found the dining button you mentioned and still had nothing showing.  Will try again.

 

Were you really shocked when the info from the phone rep on waiting 24 hours was a bust? 😉

Edited July 26, 2023 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[morpheusofthesea]

I'm shocked ! 

[clarky213]

On 7/21/2023 at 7:17 PM, Valpacino said:

 

Then when I click on the spa tab, I only get the 4 options below.  No complete menu of services to choose from.

 

 

 

 

Am I doing something wrong or missing something?  Any pointers on how this all works would be most appreciated!

 

 

This is all I can see for my Virtuosa sailing in September. As far as I am aware, you cannot book any other options in advance, and even when you pick one of these options, you can't pick a day or time. You have to do this once on the ship.

It is the same for Speciality Restaurants and the Paid shows. You need to wait until on-board to pick your day and time.

Edited July 27, 2023 by clarky213

[Brighton Line]

You can not reserve time for restaurants or spas until you board the ship. 

You can purchase discount packages but even then you can't pick the date and time to use those packages. Huge disconnect between MSC shoreside and shipside.

The app really won't even work until you are checked in and on the intranet of the ship.

[Rhea98]

15 hours ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

I had found the dining button you mentioned and still had nothing showing.  Will try again.

Same here but worth a try. I am mainly interested in looking at the packages as they seem to have changed--at least for some cruises--to offering specific venues per package. We prefer a la carte as we cannot eat all the food provided per meal--even skipping an appetizer. 

[mmbcater]

If you book the Specialty restaurants online-you are booking their restricted menu. If you wait until you are on the cruise they have daily specials... 

Edited July 27, 2023 by mmbcater

[Valpacino]

Thank you everyone for explaining how this all works as a first timer with MSC!  I'm used to X & pre-booking dining + spa & selecting my time/date in my account online or via the app.  Clearly it seems this is not do-able at MSC - I wonder why?  I'm just worried it'll be a scrum once on board to try & get dates/times we want for selected specialty dining/spa services.  It was certainly the case on X Beyond last November with zero availability in the steak house once we boarded so we never got to try that & no option to book Le Voyage for a second night.  We had 1 night's dinner in there and it was that good it absolutely blew dining in The Retreat out of the water.  We tried to get a second night in there but with zero luck as it was completely booked out.

 

As an interesting aside.  Our friends we are traveling with called in on Monday to pay their balance as they wanted to ask some questions.  Got an agent straight away with no holding.  Said the agent was great - very friendly, courteous etc.  This was the agent that said once paid up you should see options to book what you want in the spa and dining in your account when you log in.  She also said if you do not, simply call back and we'll get you all booked in from our end.  Of course we couldn't do that so yesterday my friend called back to see if she could book specific spa treatments on certain days/times so it was all pre-booked.  Got straight through again but to a different agent.  Again very nice & courteous but she explained that only packages can be booked but you cannot set the date/time yet & you cannot book specific treatments.  It must be done on board as many of you have stated.  It was the info from the first agent that was throwing us off as it kind of sounded like we could call in & pre-book.  Clearly we cannot so there we are!

 

Thanks again everyone for joining in!

[perakcruiser]

10 hours ago, Valpacino said:

Clearly it seems this is not do-able at MSC - I wonder why? 

Traditionally the demand for specialty dining is extremely low on MSC (and other European lines). A couple of years before I thought if they had any guest the whole evening as they were always completely deserted. That has changed (sometimes), status match to diamond, butchers cut and more US pax are the reason. If one day "fully booked" becomes a topic at dining or spa, then MSC maybe will follow Celebrity's example.