2023-12-23 18:28:00
They thought it was a bad joke, but it wasn’t. Hundreds of passengers from an MSC Cruises liner were diverted to the northern United States and Canada instead of their original route, the Bahamas.
A misadventure in the middle of which Marco, a 46-year-old Frenchman, originally from Montpellier (Hérault), found himself. With his family, they had booked the cruise in February. Their program was well established: a few days in New York to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere of the Big Apple, before returning to the Bahamas and their more pleasant warmth.
“At first, we took it a bit as a joke”
The program was planned to the letter. A departure from New York, then three stopovers: one in Port Canaveral, near Orlando (Florida), one in Nassau (Bahamas) and a last one on a private island in the Bahamas belonging to MSC Cruises. On December 16, he embarked with his wife, his two 14-year-old daughters, and his 14- and 18-year-old nieces, for whom the trip was an unforgettable Christmas present.
“The suitcases were ready with swimsuits, shorts, t-shirts… and not a lot of winter clothes,” explains Marco. Logical, when we know that the temperature in Florida and the Bahamas is currently around 23 degrees. Without difficulty, they boarded the liner and left New York. At no time, according to their story, did the company inform them of the change of route. “We learned that the destination had changed once on board, when we realized that the first stopover was in Boston,” says Marco. We thought we were on the wrong boat. At first, we took it a bit as a joke. »
Marco’s family’s program was well established: a few days in New York before returning to the Bahamas and their more pleasant warmth…
But the numerous travelers crowding the reception desk only reinforce his fears. He was finally told that the itinerary had indeed been changed. The company explains that it took this decision the day before departure, due to unfavorable weather conditions which would have represented a risk for passengers. Marco claims that he has no written proof, neither SMS nor email from the company to notify him of this change. When contacted, MSC Cruises did not respond to our requests.
According to the Montpellier resident, the Americans who were to board were informed by email of the change of itinerary. The company actually indicated to NBC that these passengers were able to choose between boarding or obtaining a credit for a future cruise. “The only alternative would have been to take the most extreme measure, namely the outright cancellation of the cruise and vacations of thousands of people,” the company defended.
“We were presented with a fait accompli”
But for the Europeans concerned, it was a cold shower: “We were presented with a fait accompli, it was only once on the boat that we knew we were not going to the Bahamas.” For Marco, the problem is not so much the change of route as the way the problem was handled by the company.
“We can understand the weather conditions. What bothers me is the management. We end up with a service fee of 600 dollars (around 550 euros) on site for the maintenance of the cabins, they might have given us a gift. » He assures that no commercial gesture was offered as compensation, with the exception of a 20% reduction on a future cruise. “We were even given leaflets with other, much more attractive reductions on board,” laments Marco.
Unable to take advantage of stopovers due to lack of reservation
Despite everything, Marco and his family still had the opportunity to take advantage of the stopovers offered, even if it was not the planned trip. But here once more, there were disappointments. “The nice thing regarding cruises is the stopovers. We had planned activities during the stopovers in the Caribbean. But when you suddenly learn that you are changing your route, you have less opportunity to prepare your outings,” summarizes Marco.
By searching the Internet, those rejected are looking for an alternative. For 48 hours, the forty-year-old and his family found themselves in Boston where the temperature was around 10°C. “We went to visit Harvard University,” he explains, but the six French people quickly got back on board followingwards given the temperatures. Not really a time to stay outside when you don’t have the right clothes. In Portland, the same: “When you see the city, you say to yourself that it’s not even worth it, given how cold it is. »
The MSC Meraviglia swimming pool is not popular in the middle of a North American winter, when the liner should have been in the Caribbean. DR
The impromptu detour to Canada might have been the opportunity for a magnificent experience, despite the negative temperatures in Saint John, New Brunswick “There was a nice excursion, where we were going to see icebergs and whales” , summarizes Marco. But once more, disappointment. “We tried to book but it was too late, there was no more room.” The family tried to enjoy it, but “what might have been nice, we mightn’t organize it. »
Marco and his family arrived in New York this Saturday around 1:30 p.m. French time. For his daughters and nieces, the experience remains beautiful, with the visit to the American city. For his wife, however, the pill is a little harder to swallow. “We are not asking to be reimbursed for the cruise, we did it and the boat is magnificent,” insists Marco. But MSC, they’re going to wait a long time for me to come back. »
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