Important notice - cruise cancellation - MSC Seaside Grand Voyage April 7-23 PTP-Genoa

[razer]

Today Dec 20 received this letter (enclosed) that this transatlantic cruise on the Seaview was cancelled due to operational reasons. Final payment was due to MSC Dec 19. MSC received full payment from all passengers and then announced a cancellation. If anyone experienced this or succeeded in compensation beyond cruise refund please let us know. We already booked our airfares to Point a Pitre and return from Milan. They do not indicate any compensation on airfares etc.

They took final payment and next day announced this change. Today I even spoke to an agent from MSC canada this morning before receiving this notice and asked to reconfirm my booking and she said all is in place and you are reconfirmed for April 7th. She even said the ship seems to be sold out. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks, Eric and Sophie

 

 

 Letter toiday from MSC

 

December 20^th, 2023,

 

Dear Guest,

Thank you for choosing MSC Cruises for your upcoming holidays.

We are contacting you with an important update affecting your booking. We regret to inform you that, due to operational reasons affecting the deployment of some of our ships, we have had to cancel your Grand Voyage on MSC Seaside.

We know that you spent time planning your perfect cruise and we sincerely apologize for the disappointment that this will likely cause. We do not want this to get on the way of your holidays with MSC Cruises, that is why we are pleased to give you the following options:

 

-          Option 1: We will be happy to move your booking to any other cruise available on our website without paying a change fee. We will apply the pricing of the new cruise that you selected and you will need to pay the fare difference, if any, for the new booking – alternatively, if you select a cheaper cruise, we will refund you the difference.

-          Option 2: Alternatively, if you cannot find a sailing that suits you, you can cancel your cruise free of charge and receive a full refund.

 

Please, contact the MSC Contact Centre or your travel advisor for any further information that you may require and to update your reservation by 15 January 2024. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we are here to assist you in finding the perfect alternative for your vacation.

 

Best regards,

[peder]

I had seen something about this cruise being canceled on the FB groups. I assume other cruises must also be canceled if the repositioning cruise is canceled?

[8420PR]

I wonder if MSC Seaside has engine problems again - I took the repositioning from Port Canaveral to Fort-de-France and she never got over 15 knots (according to the navigational TV channel).

 

 

[Mark_T]

8 hours ago, razer said:

If anyone experienced this or succeeded in compensation beyond cruise refund please let us know. We already booked our airfares to Point a Pitre and return from Milan. They do not indicate any compensation on airfares etc.

That would usually be something covered by your travel insurance.

 

On that same point, be careful about this bit...

 

8 hours ago, razer said:

Option 2: Alternatively, if you cannot find a sailing that suits you, you can cancel your cruise free of charge and receive a full refund.

Check with your insurer that the letter MSC have sent is sufficient to be able to claim for the airfare and any other costs, as if you cancel the cruise as they suggest it may be hard to get any additional proof that the cancellation was caused by MSC.

[logan25]

Well, that’s punch to the gut.  My sympathies.

[Preziosa]

I have friends on This Cruise. Will MSC cover flight tickets, not booked through MSC....

[steamboats]

On 12/21/2023 at 3:54 AM, razer said:

Final payment was due to MSC Dec 19. MSC received full payment from all passengers and then announced a cancellation.

 

Just to mention, final payment in Europe is not until 30 days prior to the start of the cruise. So all European passengers haven´t paid full yet.

 

steamboats

[Mark_T]

2 hours ago, Preziosa said:

I have friends on This Cruise. Will MSC cover flight tickets, not booked through MSC....

Highly unlikely.

 

Often the flights may be either refundable or at least able to cancel and apply the credit to other flights, but if not then that is something that should have been covered by travel insurance, and the same goes for hotel reservations, private tours etc...

[sidari]

8 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

Just to mention, final payment in Europe is not until 30 days prior to the start of the cruise. So all European passengers haven´t paid full yet.

 

steamboats

Is that just direct bookings with MSC ? in the UK it varies from 12 to 14 weeks if booked via a travel agent.

[sidari]

8 hours ago, steamboats said:

Final payment was due to MSC Dec 19. MSC received full payment from all passengers and then announced a cancellation.

MSC have previous in doing this.

[steamboats]

3 minutes ago, sidari said:

Is that just direct bookings with MSC ? in the UK it varies from 12 to 14 weeks if booked via a travel agent.

 

It's EU consumer protection law. 30 days prior to departure.

 

steamboats 

[sidari]

3 minutes ago, steamboats said:

 

It's EU consumer protection law. 30 days prior to departure.

 

steamboats 

Strange that never applied to the UK when it was a member of the EU.

[Preziosa]

In Denmark some travel companys 3 month before sailing

[8420PR]

Is Seaside sailing back empty?  Going into dry dock?    I see it is currently in Las Palmas, after sailing from St Maarten.

 

[Beamafar]

On 12/23/2023 at 3:30 PM, steamboats said:

 

It's EU consumer protection law. 30 days prior to departure.

 

steamboats 

Seeing as this thread has been bumped:

 

We’re in the EU and final payment is due 63 days - 9 weeks - before embarkation date (when booked directly with MSC.  TAs FPDs are at their discretion and tend to be further out).