Everyone has an opinion on MSC and working in this industry, we get to hear them all. They’re like Marmite. People either love them or hate them. It seems recently though that the scales have been tipped and more people are starting to hate them and MSC’s standards are putting people off cruising altogether!!
This comes after an email I received from a lovely customer of mine. The people in question have cruised many times before with the likes of Cunard, RCI and P&O. I know they’ll never cruise with MSC again after this. Here’s the email:
Hi Louise.
Just returned off the MSC Opera…………….WHAT A NIGHTMARE.
I would never travel with MSC again – if you don’t mind, as it will make me feel better – i’m going to quickly share our experience.
Remembering we arent experienced travellers as a lot of others are, but we have done nearly 10 cruises with carriers such as Cunard, P&O, RCI, C&M, and now MSC.
We have always had a fantastic time on every single cruise, realising all companies are different and go with what they offer, but this was unbelievable.
Here is what MSC REALLY do have to offer passengers:
1. We were given a check in time of 11.00am. Traffic was bad, which is expected due to new roads being constructed, but we still go there at 11.20.
We were told to queue outside a tent, which we did for 20 minutes, finally getting in at 12.00 and handed a ticket number 17 and told to sit down……nowhere to sit as the tent was brimming full and everyone complaining as it was so hot in there.
We were finally called at 2.50pm to check in and board……..3 hours in a tent that was hot and nowhere to sit….just to bard!
We were told they didnt even start check-in until 11.30?
2. On boarding the ship, we had to queue for the obligatory boarding photograph, all other entrances were roped off……20 minutes wait for the photo – we jumped the ropes – that was just cattle traetment. We got told off but then everyone followed us…..the boarding structure was disgusting.
3. Once through o the bar, having paid for our drinks package we thought we would make the most of it and get a well deserved drink to calm the stress…………..NO CHANCE.
Im not exagerating when i say there was one guy behind the bar in a lounge that holds about 300+ and one poor girl walking round taking orders who just snapped that she was busy and we had to wait.
The queues in every single bar, and im not exagerating when i say were an hour………….
We tried every single bar and they were all the same……i asked if this was normal and one staff manager snapped “what do you expect when you all want everything at the same time”
There was a distinct lack of staff………..2 people in each room serving………………thats 10 staff in 5 massive rooms………….unbelievable.
4. Ive done sone safety checks now and this was apalling. Our section were all crammed into the casino like sardines. We were kept crammed in for 25 minutes and then The guy announced that we had to hold our lifejackets above our head (Impossible to do as we were that crammed our arms couldnt move) told to do up belt……and then that was the safety procedure over??????
What was the point in that – people were fuming!
5. Then as we left the safety drill – we went to the resteraunts for food – AND THEY SHUT IT !
Leaving just pizza to eat……………..everyone was really angry !
6. The entertainment on both evenings were embarrasing – you would give them a spot at Butlins let alone a cruise.
A duo in one room that was empty – we wondered why – she was so out of tune everyone was just sat in amazement how bad she was – and then left.
A violinist in another room that was aptly named the doctors waiting room – it was that bad.
And the evening entertainment was shocking…………..the ships dancers and both nights the highlight was a woman hanging herself from bedsheets suspended from a hook on the ceiling !
7. The evening food was shocking – the worst ive ever had – i’ve never been to prison but i bet those dinners are better – everyone was complaining – it was the worst food ive ever had on a ship!
As we were on the late sitting – i was that hungr AFTER our sitting – we went upstairs at 10.00pm to get something from the self service – IT HAD SHUT!
Ok it had “make your own sandwiches” but that was it – not even cakes or cookies.
8. Over to get a cup of tea and just retire to bed as we’d had enough – NOPE! No cups – they were all in th washer “according to staff” and we had to wait. There was a queue at 10.00 pm of about 15 people, the guy at the front said he’d been waiting for 20 minutes for cups !
Cups came – Guess what “No Tea bags only Earl Grey” Because……………and this was his words………….”everyone wants english tea”………………well yeah – you are leaving an english port with english passengers????
And this is the best ——————- I ordered Sharon a Birthday cake………….they said online it would be bought to the table on the first sitting……………..
I waited for meal to be served and then when desserts were due……………waiting for the cake to arrive as a surprise…………….the waiter walked up to Sharon and said………”Are you Sharon Leaver?” Embarrased and confused she said yes why…..he then siad………….ok wait there as ive got to go and get a cake for you!!!!! Some surprise that was!
But to be fair they bought it out and sang happy birthday – but why tell her first,,,,,,,Durrrrrr.
And finally – we got to bed and started reading the sheet of instructions about disembarkment………………i read that we were floor 9, so due to dis-embark at 9.00 am.
At 6.25am we had the cabin man banging the door down saying “you should all be out your room now – you should read the paperwork”.
Ok i didnt read the 6.30 GET OUT bit and like many many others didnt think that we had to get out that early – never has that happened before????
So down for breakfast……………..again they had one tin of sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, being served in 2 areas……………..so thats 2 tins of each for the whole ship……………a joke!
When we finally got it – it wasnt cooked properly and my god was i bad this morning.
And one last thing – they has a RANDOM hand sanitizer placed at strategic places that you really did have to hunt for – and guess what – THEY WERE ALL EMPTY – we only found one that worked and that was on an exit FROM the resteraunt……………
Absolutely shocking…………………We would never travel with MSC again, and i think if you booked others onto this particular cruise………….you may be getting some worse complaints than ive given.
Ive attached a photo of the people queueing to complain…………..i honestly thought there was going to be a very angry confrontation at one time, someone even made a comment about the Titanic which was totally out of order, but describes the anger passengers felt – and all cheered as we were disembarking as the captain announced – you are all now free to dis-embark!!!
I know it wasnt the most expensive cruise but it still cost me about £700-00 with everything in – and it really was a total waste of money………………so dissapointed.
And whats unbelievable is this is supposed to be a taster cruise for people to book longer cruises with MSC – i just thank my lucky stars that i tried the taster first – i’d never cruise with these again.
Total shambles from start to finish.
Just look at the faces on these passengers on attached photo – all at reception waiting to complain.
I felt so sorry for thos who were taking this as a “first cruise experience”. We must have spoke to at least 6 couples that said it was their first cruise………….we tried to explain to every single couple we spoke to – that this wasnt normal for other companies – but they werent gonna be convinced – they all said they’d never cruise again……and thats such a shame.
So dissapointed 🙁
So what’s happened MSC? What’s gone wrong? This is completely unacceptable. I’m sure it never used to be this bad but I for one, am seeing an increase in the number of complaints about MSC – so much so that in the last week, two of my regulars have called asking about an MSC cruise and I’ve had to tell them that knowing what they’re used to, I don’t feel comfortable selling them MSC at the moment! A few weeks ago things were different. Something massive has changed recently. And it’s only getting worse.
This is completely unacceptable.
MSC are giving the cruise industry a bad name and this is unfair on the other cruise lines that go out of their way to ensure their guests have an amazing time!
I value my passengers feedback greatly but I’m at my wits end with MSC now.
I’ve forwarded my customers email onto our MSC contact and am currently awaiting a response.
What are your MSC experiences? Good or bad or just plain awful? Please, please let me know. I need as much feedback as possible.
Thanks
Lou