MSC Cruises was founded in 1960 in Naples, Italy, by Achille Lauro originally under the name Lauro Lines. The company had two cruise ships in the 1960’s. In 1979, the Angelino Lauro burned to the ground in St. Thomas and in 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by the Palestinian Liberation Front. In 1989, the company was sold to the Mediterranean Shipping Company and renamed to MSC Cruises in 1995.
The company currently has 15 cruise ships, with two more launching in 2019 and an additional 12 being built and scheduled to launch by 2026.
MSC Cruises is registered in Switzerland and is the world’s largest privately held cruise company, with more than 16,000 employees. The cruise line is the 4th largest in the world.
In 2017, the company launched “Seaside”, a cruise ship built especially for Americans and is the first MSC ship christened in the US.
In July 2018, the company announced that it was building a second port in Miami for their World-Class cruise lines. Company headquarters in the USA are located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
MSC Cruises was founded in 1960 in Naples, Italy, by Achille Lauro originally under the name Lauro Lines. The company had two cruise ships in the 1960’s. In 1979, the Angelino Lauro burned to the ground in St. Thomas and in 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by the Palestinian Liberation Front. In 1989, the company was sold to the Mediterranean Shipping Company and renamed to MSC Cruises in 1995.
The company currently has 15 cruise ships, with two more launching in 2019 and an additional 12 being built and scheduled to launch by 2026.
History
MSC Cruises is registered in Switzerland and is the world’s largest privately held cruise company, with more than 16,000 employees. The cruise line is the 4th largest in the world.
In 2017, the company launched “Seaside”, a cruise ship built especially for Americans and is the first MSC ship christened in the US.
In July 2018, the company announced that it was building a second port in Miami for their World-Class cruise lines. Company headquarters in the USA are located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
I have tried repeatedly to have someone explain to me how discounts are computed off of the base cabin fare. I understand discounts do not include port taxes. When I figure the discount using the base fare less the discount, the fare is never what your reservation department system computes. Your casino department that gave me one of the discounts can’t compute the same discount either. When I have asked these 2 departments to explain the formula they tell me it is programmed and they have no idea. I have asked for the number or email of someone that can explain it to me, I am told there is no one. Now, I know there is a person that programs your system so there has to be an answer. It reminds me of when a company says it is our policy, I find these answers to be ridiculous, policies and programs are created by an employee, they just don’t fall to earth. With all this said, I don’t think I am being unreasonable with my request, I would appreciate a phone call or email so that I can understand why I want a voyagers card and why I care whether a casino is offering me a discount for gambling.
I am available for your assistance and response.
I am writing to you in hopes that I can make you understand the importance of publishing the off-shore excursions to Egypt on the MSC OPERA, November 2022 as soon as possible.
It has been my lifelong dream to visit Egypt and this particular itinerary accommodated this “dream” and other special interests as well, such as going through the Suez Canal and visiting Dubai. My friend and I are more than ready to fully pay for our booking and the off-shore excursions, but the most important ones in Egypt have to date not been published. In addition, as I read previous descriptions of these excursions I worry that we will not have enough time to visit these Egyptian treasures due to time constrictions in the ship’s itinerary – by that I mean the temple of Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the pyramids in Giza. The stops in Sharm- el-sheik and Safaga might not be long enough to accommodate the lengthy excursions, which are the reason why we are taking this trip.
Nevertheless, we put our trust in MSC and are certain that this wonderful company will exceed our expectations once again. Won’t you please look into this matter so that we, and perhaps other fellow passengers can finalize our plans and settle every detail of our dream cruise?
Curious, does MSC reply?
I attempted to use my cruise credit for a Dec. cruise after being called by MSC on 10/19/21 (Alina at 954 616 2410); I requested a balcony ( the cancelled cruise was an inside) when I received the booking it was an inside. I called back and was told I would have to wait about a week because it was handled by another department but I would have a balcony. I called back several days latter and was told not to worry that I will get my balcony.
When I received my booking it was an inside. I called to cancel if I could not get an inside after the weekend of receipt of the revised booking and was told that I had to pay a cancellation fee of about half or the cost.
I feel I was cheated since I was steadfast on my request and MSC mislead and lied to me and charged me for a cabin I did not want and would not take. They at least should refund my money.
Awful . I didn’t even make it to the ship communication is awful . I was told there wasn’t an corporate office . I canceled in March here it is June ,and haven’t received my refund !!!!
We booked a cruise over a year ago. Bad me, I didn’t get insurance. My mom past away so we just wanted to change our dates. No one answers the phone or returns calls. And I am getting no response to my emails. What kind of a company is this? Is it really that hard to just change our dates?
Scott Truax is a Personal Vacation Consultant based out of Fort Lauderdale who is living and working out of Medellin Colombia. Not sure if MSC knows this but if this is OK with the company I’d like to know if other such jobs are available where you can be based out of Florida but actually work and live in Colombia? I realize the employee may have to set up everything so it appears as though he is still working from Florida.
MSC Poesia April 23,2019 Germany to Copenhagen worst service of any of the numerous cruises I have been on. Seems like a training session for most of the service crew. Bar service take forever and my drink is Compari over ice. Not one bar on the entire ship had any in stock although they insured me that in the next port it would be loaded onto the ship. Lies! I paid over $300 for a package which included Compari (an Italian liquor).Dining room tables tightly placed, hard for waiters to properly serve, Buffet (except Fruit section) was not good. Pizza o.k. but pastas bad. Hamburgers wrapped in paper (MacDonalds?) Don’t book!!!!!
I booked cruise to Cuba on May 8 and you charged my Amex $800.00 for two cabin deposits, on May 10 you credited that amount to my Amex. I e-mailed my MSC cruise representative(Dwayne Perrin) twice today asking for explanation and to find out what happened to our reservation, no answer.
As I looked at countless complaints from your passengers I am wandering if I made good choice choosing your line to begin with.
Waiting patiently? for your answer, someones answer.
From; Valarie Adams-Manigault
188 hidden Court
Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857
March 18, 2019
To; MSC Cruise line
Reference to My Cruise on the Splendida 3/9-3/16/2019
To All Concerned Parties;
I recently returned from one of your cruises and although the ship and the amenities for your yacht club members was wonderful. My experience otherwise was not.
My luggage was lost after we retrieved it from the luggage conveyer belt from Emirantes Air. It was left in the hands of the carries for the MSC cruise line who assured me they would place my luggage under the bus we were being transported in to the ship.
When my luggage didn’t arrive well after my husbands did, I reported it to the Butler, who started the investigation and assured me that everything possible was being done to make sure my luggage would be returned to me as soon as possible.
Hours turned into days and no sign of my luggage. My husband and I went to the Concierge’s desk understandably upset demanding something be done. All that was offered to us at that time was two one hour massages! I was insulted, here I was with NO clothing, borrowing clothes from my friends who were traveling with me. And they offered me a massage! Two nights of traveling, not sleeping, worrying about my suitcase and its contents along with jet lag.
On the day we were in Abu Da bi, still no sign of my luggage or word from the Cruise line as to what was being done or any reasonable offer. My husband and I decided to forgo our excursion of the dunes and show to go in town to purchase clothing that I wouldn’t have otherwise had to purchase if my luggage was not lost. When we told the officer in charge this they offered no reimbursement or compensation of any kind.
The day before we are set to get off the ship we confront the officer again and we are livid with the way we have been treated. They questioned us about the receipts of the unnecessary purchase of clothing, my luggage receipt for the missing luggage and told us they could only offer us an ON BOARD CREDIT for five hundred and ninety euro! We found this unacceptable as well, we had spent so much for the cruise, the air and the clothing that are still missing, the clothes I HAD to purchase, the excursion my husband and I missed because it was the only day I could get clothing.
No to mention the mental anguish I am still feeling.
My husband and I are celebrating our thirty wedding anniversary and this trip was for this milestone in our lives. We planned outfits for the various theme nights on the ship. I had an anniversary gift for him that was in my luggage! The time I spent planning my outfits, shoes, jewelry, makeup and other necessities that I’m accustomed to have all been demolished because of my luggage being lost.
I can’t get back that time or the time I spent in total sadness, feeling violated and less than because I had to borrow clothes from my friends! My husband and friends felt my anguish because I couldn’t enjoy my anniversary or my vacation. My heart is still heavy as I write this note to you. As I think of all the beautiful things I purchased and packed …. GONE!
Please contact me ASAP regarding this Horrible mishap.
Sincerely,
Valarie Adams-Manigault
908-812-XXXX
Background: I had to cancel a Feb 25, 2019 MSC cruise, because of surgery for a broken arm. I called MSC cruise on Feb 4, 2019 to cancel the cruise, I was told I would receive $473.25 on my credit card. I would have to collect the $899.25 from CSA travel insurance
minus the non-refundable cruise insurance cost of $105.
I paid $1,478.00 to MSC cruises on November 2, 2018 with my Citi Costco Visa card.
Problem: I have not received my $473.25 credit on my Citi Costco Visa card.
I called MSC cruise on March 8, 2019 to check the status of my refund and was told
it was placed on someone else credit card and they could not do anything about it.
Solution: I need my Citi Costco Visa card credited for $473.25. It was your error
in putting my money on someone else credit card and MSC CRUISE LINE NEED TO
CORRECT IT AND RETURN MY MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Hughes
Dear MSC Cruise Lines;
My family booked a cruise to sail March 30, 2019 in a couple of weeks. We have encounter problem after problem in booking this adventure!! We have cruised with Carnival, Norwegian, and Disney Cruise ships and never have had this much frustration trying to book our Trip with a cruise ship before!! Now we don’t even want to go on your ship in fear of more fustration’s. All we want a nice relaxing, luxurious vacation to relax and get less stressed. Your Cruise Line Team does not know anything about your trips, they are reading manuals to us over the phone!
We tried getting a suite with a family of 5 in one room, but you could not accommodate our family. So, you booked us in separate floors and rooms. Our 19 yr. old son McKade broke his leg so we had to do a name change and have Grandma Take his place. MSC said there would be no charge for name change in cabin reservations #32205918. Keith Corson & McKade Deelstra switched to name change Jeanette Zinkan. You charge an extra $200.00 on my credit card! When I spoke to your Assistant Florita, she told us there would be no fee for name change!! I just got my credit card bill!
Than, we booked online for a family fun pass for My Room Tiffany Corson Reservation #3605595 3 people Casey & Savannah Corson. They said on the phone that it’s $100.00 per person and Adult for family fun pass which adds up to $500.00 for all 5 of us!! We were told by our travel agent Carol from: AVOYA TRAVEL that it’s just $100.00 per room and that whoever is in the room gets access to family fun pass. Again, you charged $100.00 on my credit card for family fun pass. I never even got a receipt showing this charge from your company. I just got a charge on my credit card, I’m so confused by this time. Again, I call MSC to fix this and they can’t and don’t know how. So frustrated!!
We spent many frustrating hours reading your website because everybody had a different answer every time we called customer Service!! We later found out from Customer Service that our package did not include “Easy Package” and had to spend countless time pursuing our Purchase through you to get this Drink package which should have been done in the first place!! My Voyager club number is 3605595.
We are so frustrated trying to get the correct information from your staff, they are reading manual on the phone to me and are confused, no one knows anything about excursions, family fun pass, spa etc. Drink Packages “Easy Package” . They tell you to book your excursions on line and get a discount and this is not the case, your website does not even operate to book these excursions and the staff on the phone/web master employees don’t know what to do. They keep transferring me to different departments.
ALL WE WANTED WAS A CABIN TO FIT ALL 5 OF US, A NAME CHANGE, PLAN OUT OUR FAMILY EXCURSIONS ON YOUR SHIP AHEAD OF TIME SO I COULD RELAX WHILE I WAS ON BOARD AND HAVE A LUXERIOUSE VACATION!! AND IT HAS BEEN A TOTAL NIGHTMARE!! NOW WE DON’T EVEN WANT TO SAIL ON YOUR SHIP!! WE SHOULD HAVE BOOKED A DISNEY CRUISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY EASIER AND WAY MORE TRUSTWORTHY, YOU’VE GOT ALL THESE HIDDEN COSTS THAT YOU CHARGE PEOPLE ON THEIR CREDIT CARD AND DON’T EVEN TELL THEM LIKE A $200.00 ROOM CHANGE NAME!! SO FUSTRATED.
Than we found out that you charge $400.00 extra per person for Reservations #32205918 for each person!! AT THIS POINT WE JUST TOTALLY FEEL LIKE MSC IS TRYING TO CHEAT US AT EVERY TURN! What are you going to do to fix this? This is so frustrating to plan a dream vacation and have it all go wrong!! All I wanted was for all 5 of us to have a luxurious Vacation and now it’s ruined!! PLEASE FIX ALL THESE ISSUES BECAUSE OUR TRIP IS NON REFUNDABLE!!
Mr. & Mrs. Keith & Tiffany Corson
Booking #32205877 & 3225918
Hello,
I’m sorry about having to forward this email, but it seem that I’m not getting anywhere with the Florida office. So, if you could put this email into the right hands this would be of great help.
Sincerely yours
Daniel D Kavanaugh
336 407 XXXX
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: DANIEL KAVANAUGH
Date: January 20, 2019 at 3:11:30 AM EST
To: Roberto.Fusaro@ msccruisesusa.com
Subject: Booking Issue
Mr. Fusaro, Again I’ve been trying to resolve this issue. I had forwarded you with no response. I wish you would look into the matter.
Daniel D Kavanaugh
336 407 XXXX
—–Original Message—–
From: Daniel Kavanaugh
To: Roberto.Fusaro
Sent: Thu, Jan 10, 2019 01:32 AM
Subject: Fwd: Booking issue
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Daniel Kavanaugh
Date: January 9, 2019 at 10:36:24 AM EST
To: Roberto.Fusaro@ msccruisesusa.com
Cc: massimo.bergamasch@ msccruisesusa.com
Subject: Fwd: Booking issue
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Daniel Kavanaugh
Date: January 8, 2019 at 1:36:42 AM EST
Subject: Fwd: Booking issue
Dear Mr Fusaro
I’m sorry to be forwarding this email, but I’ve tried many different times with several levels from booking to and up to Mr Sasso, and had no responses. I’ve included my email to Mr Sasso for your reading. I feel that it reflects my problem having not to turn it into a book. To me and my wife it is a sore spot. Since I’ve sailed many times a year for many years. Again I’m sorry that had to come to your attention.
Sincerely yours
Daniel D Kavanaugh
336-407-XXXX
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Daniel Kavanaugh
Date: January 3, 2019 at 1:58:58 AM EST
To: Richard.sasso@ msccruisesusa.com
Subject: Booking issue
Dear Mr Sasso:
This is a follow up email to see if you had time to check into the matter I addressed below. Please respond for if not I’ll have to move the issue higher.
Hello Mr Sasso, I’m sorry to trouble, my name is Daniel D Kavanaugh, and I don’t normally do this, but I’ve tried over the last month and a half to fix the issue that occurred with my wife and I. Let me bring you up to speed. Last year we booked a cruise for our 73rd Birthday (Nov 3 & 4). I placed a down payment. Then I got caught up in booking another cruise ( Jan 28) into Cuba one thing lead to another friends started asking to come along on that cruise totaling 14 of us now. In the mean time my daughter want to take a cruise with her mother and me as well. Well one thing and another lead to what happen next. We left for Florida several days before the cruise departing on Nov 3 out of Miami I came to realize that I had not printed our e-ticket not finding it on my phone I called and was told that that our booking had been canceled. You can not know how I felt upon hearing this, because over the months preceding I had asked each and every time were my bookings all paid up and current when I spoke with my (your booking agent). I came to find out that he only looked at the booking screen which showed it to be green and never looked into to the booking to see If I owed anything. So, of course when the cruise came and I had not made any payment it was canceled. If at any time during any of my called I was told payment was do it would have been paid. No Question. The booking agents spoke with his supervisor and offer was somewhat worked out to my understanding, and I was to be emailed with their answer. I tried calling the agent but his answering machine now has a message where your unable to get a hold of him only by email which I done and have not had any return answers. I can not believe all that has been happening. May I ask is the company trying to distance themselves from their customers?
Sincerely yours
Daniel D Kavanaugh
My husband,my sister and I sailed on the MAC Seaside December 22,2018. I have to say the ship is just beautiful and the shows were the best we have ever seen!! My husband and I have cruised since 1971, well over 200 cruised on all different Cruise lines. This particular cruise was one of the worst. Your customer care service is just awfull! The minute we entered our cabin. 14095 the cabin smelled of Raw Sewage!!! Please note we complained for the first four days. The room steward placed Fans in our cabin all day so resting was not an option!we spoke to the lady in charge of front desk. Her name is Jennifer. She felt very bad and offered a Massage???like that would make it all better!!!! She than offered a Free Dinner in a speciality restaurant what ever we wanted, plus a $250.00 on board credit!!! Well, we had our dinner, $239.00 plus. We checked our on board account and not only did we get charged for our dinner, but they dedicated it from the $250.00!!!!!! She basically called me a lliae saying she never told us about $250.00. The worst of all our cabin was so bad with the smell of the sewage, and very damp floors, and large fans running all day. It was a nightmare to say the least. The worst part is my husband has Parkinson’s.We paid a lot of money for this cruise, and We feel we should have been treated better. Our whole cruise was ruined! Hope to hear from you..Linda Varon..lsvaron@ yahoo.com, 786-728-XXXX
Had a booking problem that I spent 2 days and 2 1/2 hours on the phone trying to fix… before I had a supervisor named “Harold” rudely hang up on me…and that was after he was aggressive and failed to help resolve the problems that your Cruise Line created, and I had to spend my time trying to solve.
I was refused phone numbers I requested, I was refused the ability to speak to additional supervisors, was treated rudely and finally hung up on. I want to know what is going to be done to rectify my problems with your company…and discipline your overtly rude employees.