BamaVol

I want to book a cruise for next year. I want to take my daughter, her husband and my two young grandchildren. Our nearest port is Port Canaveral - very convenient. There are multiple lines sailing from PC. MSC is by far the lowest cost option. I have tried pricing out what I want, and even with multiple add-ons, it’s still more reasonable than Carnival of Royal Caribbean. Disney is not in my budget. I have booked past cruises directly with the cruise line and then assigned to an online TA. But there is a lot about this line that confuses me so I’d really like help right off the bat this time. MSC customer service sounds less than helpful. Heck, none of the lines I’ve dealt in the past with would win an award there.

I’d prefer to sit across a desk from a knowledgeable, cruise-savvy TA and discuss it. I don’t like talking on the phone. I like to see someone’s face while in conversation. There are a couple B&M TAs nearby. One is AAA. I am a member. But they have terrible online reviews and word of mouth isn’t any better. The other is Anchors Away, which appears to be part of a consortium, if that’s the right word. Both have websites. On neither can I find MSC cruises as a choice.

Is MSC as difficult for a TA to work with as it appears to me at first glance? Are their commissions ultra low? Do they not work with TAs? I can’t even get much help from the “other” cruising BB whose name apparently cannot be typed here.

My issues:
1 What is the right “experience” for us?
2 How do I make bookings and link them? I can’t seem to book 2 cabins at once.
3 I think I can see what the basic fare covers. What are the optional add-ons? Are they worth it?
4 This is a closed loop. I think that’s the right term. Should be doable with birth certificates. Mrs BV and I have passports. The others don’t. The MSC website states that passports are required. Can they insist on that or are there exceptions? I really hate to have to spend $ hundreds for a one-off cruise. The likelihood any of them will leave the US again is minimal.
5 My granddaughter has a different father and last name from her brother. There is no formal custody agreement. Do we need a letter from the girl’s father or will we have a problem boarding or returning to the US?

Would anyone have any suggestions? Use an on-line TA and cross my fingers? Visit one of the local TAs and hope omission MSC is an oversight? Take a drive over to the port and look for help? Give up?

guv1976

I suggest that -- even if you want to book with a brick-and-mortar travel agent -- you first register with vacationstogo.com (registration merely requires providing an email address) so that you can easily see all the cruises that would fit your time frame and budget. You might even consider departing from Tampa if that is not too much more of a drive than Port Canaveral. I am not seeing MSC departures out of Tampa, but I do see a few on Celebrity and Norwegian, in addition to Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

The benefit of searching on vacationstogo.com is that you can see what, if any, incentives they are offering on a particular cruise. That might give you some bargaining power even if you ultimately book through a different agency.

Good luck!

BamaVol

It is an excellent suggestion. In fact, it’s where I start shopping for any cruise I’ve booked. It’s why MSC stands out to me.

Searching for Port Canaveral departures in June 2024, cruises 5 nights and under. You’ll note MSC is unbelievably low priced. The Seashore is relatively new and looks attractive in pictures. Menus look appealing. Facilities and activities are competitive with other lines. MSC appears to be pricing to break into the market. I don’t think these prices will last. Of course these prices are inside cabins. Ocean view adds another 50-100 pp.

Excluding Carnival, the first line after MSC is Royal Caribbean at twice the price. Of course all the prices exclude gratuities, port charges and taxes, internet, adult beverages or soda, etc.

My budget for 6 pax, 2 cabins, ocean view, preferably 4 nights is $3K. It appears doable on MSC. Possibly on the others as well.

Did I mention MSC has a generous status comp policy? I am top tier already based on my Hilton Diamond status. Benefits aren’t spectacular but I wouldn’t get any from another line.

guv1976

Have you checked to see whether MSC's "kids sail free" policy applies to the fares you are finding out of Port Canaveral?

BamaVol

I priced it out and the price for the kids was at least half that of the adults. I think the cruise industry is a little too free in their use of the word “Free”. The price is not going to keep me from booking. It comes in well below budget.

I hadn’t thought about it until you brought up vacationstogo.com. But I might try calling their number and seeing if I reach a knowledgeable agent. I either get lucky or not. But I know I will have no trouble hanging up on morons. Now, where did I read that?

YVR Cockroach

For the discount, most agents at OTAs especially VTG will probably do the minimum (I've purchased through VTG a few times) but that's fair enough (I'm one of those who simply use the TA as a booker and don't ask for much else and no hand holding at all). One did get me an UG from inside to outside though.

hhoope01

If you decide to go with MSC, note that they used to status match to their Voyagers Club (used to include even matching up to their highest elite level.) You could use your hotel/airline program elite level for the status match. Not sure if they still do this or not, but might be worth checking into.

mahasamatman

They still do. We recently matched our Princess Elite (top tier) to Voyager's Club Diamond (top tier).

BamaVol

Doesn't have to be a cruise line status either. As I mentioned above, my Hilton Diamond was matched to MSC Diamond. You just have to cruise with them once every 3 years to retain it. Research before requesting. Not every top tier matches to MSC top tier.

Brighton Line

And you can only match once even if you drop from not sailing in three years.

MSC is trying to break into the US Market and there are horror stories of their onshore customer service and poor website. Heck even thier US website/app uses the day before month and 24-hour clock it hasn't been Americanized. My first cruise in Yacht Club the ship within a ship is at the end of May and I've heard that a lot of TA's won't deal with them.

BamaVol

It may be possible to reapply with different information. I’m not sure which works the magic, but I changed physical and email addresses and reapplied with success.

philemer

This a Zurich travel policy offered through Costco Travel. Their normal pre-existing waiver clause says the look back period is 180 days unless you buy the policy w/in 21 days of first deposit. We paid our deposit 8 or 9 months ago and cruise starts 9-21-23.

We live in Idaho and the amended definition for us is:

Pre-existing Condition means a sickness, disease or other condition during the 30 day period immediately prior to the date the plan payment has been received by the Policyholder for which the Insured, the Traveling Companion or Family Member who is scheduled or booked to travel with the Insured:

a. Received, or received a recommendation for, a diagnostic test, exam, or medical treatment; or
b. Took, or received, a prescription for drugs or medicine.

Under the DEFINTIONS section, the Pre-existing Condition definition is replaced with the following: Pre-Existing Condition means a sickness, disease, or other condition during the 30 day period immediately prior to the date the plan payment has been received by the Policyholder for which the Insured, the Traveling Companion, or Family Member who is scheduled or booked to travel with the Insured: a. received, or received a recommendation for, a diagnostic test, examination, or medical treatment; or b. took or received a prescription for drugs or medicine. Item b. of this definition does not apply to a condition that is treated or controlled solely through the taking of
-----
I'm guessing the word "Policyholder" above is a misprint because I (the Policyholder and the Insured) cannot receive a payment. I'm guessing it should read Zurich or the Company. Thoughts.

pbjag

Since this is Flyertalk , has anyone booked a cruise through one of the airline cruise booking services?

I would not normally go that route, but just took a look at the UA, AA and Delta cruise portals for a possible booking on Silversea. In addition to their normal offer of miles based on the dollar value of the booking, they each have a current promotion for up to 100,000 miles. So if I booked this particular voyage (approx. 5K) via United cruises, I'd receive 20,000 Mileage Plus miles (4 miles per dollar) plus 50,000 points for booking a 7 day voyage = 70,000 Mileage Plus miles if I book via UA. Plus of course, any points based on the credit card used.
That's more valuable than the OBC credit my TA would offer. They have similar offers for bonus miles on some other cruise lines too.

So- has anyone booked a cruise via one of the airlines?

747FC

What value do you assign to 70K miles?

willoL

I do believe I booked my very first, short, cheap Carnival cruise using Delta SkyMiles cruises. It was a mere long weekend, 4 days RT from our home port to Canada and back. My preschooler and I took my mother as a mother's day gift to her, but also I wanted to see if my motion sickness prone younger kid would be ill on a big ship. (He was fine and our family has enjoyed half a dozen cruises in the decade or so since then.)

Unfortunately, I don't remember any more details about the SkyMiles booking than that. I would remember if there had been an issue with the miles, I think; it worked "as I expected" IIRC.