MSC review: The whole cruise

FYI, please see below my email to MSC.

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Good morning,

I am contacting yourselves due to the above billing issue (amongst other issues) I have with MSC Seaview.

I embarked on the above vessel on the 15th of March 2022 and disembarked on 29th of March 2022.

From the very beginning of the vacation, I must say it was nothing but organized chaos.

We arrived at London Heathrow airport only to find that the so called “anti-gen” tests we had taken the day previous was not enough to grant us access to the ship only to Barbados and that we had to take PCR tests urgently at Heathrow (something which I may add the spokesperson from MSC had NOT advised us of previously when we had contacted them to ask what tests were required for the complete and throughout trip).

After then spending an additional £350 (in addition to the anti-gen tests we had previously purchased the day before) we had to literally sprint through the airport to make the flight (again unsure even if we were going to test negative on the PCR tests).

When finally onboard the aircraft, I had to then purchase Virgin Atlantic’s WIFI to ensure we had access to my emails to see if we had indeed passed the PCR tests (which we thankfully did).

When arriving in Barbados we were transported directly from the aircraft to the port in Bridgetown where we began the debacle of embarking MSC Seaview (more organized chaos).

Once finally onboard MSC Seaview I was patiently awaiting my luggage to be delivered to my cabin when I received a call from security asking me to go to deck 4 as there was an issue with the contents of my luggage.

Upon arriving at deck 4 I was informed by one of your members of staff (a cabin porter) that my hairdressing kit was against regulations (size & length of scissors) and that I couldn’t have them onboard which I promptly advised your employee to keep the scissors I wasn’t overly concerned RE whether or not I had them, at which point another member of your staff (a security member) advised that in fact the scissors were fine and I could take my luggage with me (not having a member of staff deliver my luggage of course to my cabin but I could take said luggage myself).

As I say more organized chaos.

For the next two days it was relatively peaceful until unfortunately my mother (Colleen Everitt cabin number 15018) was taken ill in the Golden Sands restaurant (which I have to commend your medical and serving staff to being wonderful and helpful to us, one of the few positives I must add unfortunately).

After my mother spending 2 hours in the medical bay (and at a cost of over €500 I might add) thankfully she was discharged back to her cabin (thankfully the medical staff advised us that it would be best as to stay overnight in the medical bay would have been at an additional cost of over €300 to what we were already going to be charged for).

Throughout the cruise it was very unorganized and in places unprofessional staff attitudes however we were trying to make the best of a bad situation (IE, my mother’s health issues etc).

Some parts were enjoyable (namely when we arrived at port and were able to leave the ship).

Throughout I thought that the prices onboard were excessive (WIFI access, Aura Spa prices especially when ¾ of the spa area were closed due to faults etc).

However, the best was yet to come when I was called to the security office to say that apparently, I had been recorded on the ships CCTV damaging an elevator keypad.

When I asked to see said evidence, I was immediately denied as apparently “the ships CCTV are for internal use only and not permitted to be seen my guests onboard”.

So, I asked your colleges how they could be sure it was me and how could that be fair as I could hardly argue my case as I haven’t been permitted to see the apparent evidence against me, to which I was told “it’s definitely you and there will be a charge incurred”.

I obviously questioned these methods as they seem highly unusual to be fair, as I have had dealings with litigation etc previously as we have barristers and legal professionals within the family and my close acquaintances, so I understand how these things work myself.

To which I was informed “if I did not pay the balance, I would have local authorities waiting for me at St Lucia when we docked to disembark on the 29th and I would be taken into custody on criminal damage charges”.

After conferring with my parents my father advised me to pay the outstanding balance and argue litigation at a later date (to which I am attending to now) as he was concerned that anymore stress and hardship may affect my mother’s ill health (as we believe all the previous stress from the beginning of the vacation led to my mother’s ill health in the restaurant)

So, I paid the balance (under duress) however I ask that the evidence be forwarded to me so that I may see the allegation charged against me.

Even if I was guilty of damaging said item I honestly cannot believe it was done purposely or deliberately in fact I believe it was more possible that I was heavy handed with it and potentially damaged it by accident, regardless of either situation I believe a cost of €1,989.06 seems extremely excessive for a plastic screen (which I have pictures of said item obviously).

Also, I have been in contact with an independent company who manufactures this particular item and am awaiting a response from them on how much they believe a more accurate price should be for repair or replacement etc.

After all the previous debacles I had hoped that the end would be in sight however alas no my father was then injured on the penultimate evening by a member of the entertainment acts leaving the stage door from the Seaside Lounge bar through a door that opened outward (onto oncoming guests/persons which I feel is a MAJOR H&S concern) causing him to dart to the side to avoid being hit in the face only to injure his achilles/tendon to his right ankle (again of which I have pictures of the swollen ankle and the door in question with multiple CCTV cameras in view) to which he is currently being treated for by his GP back home in the UK, luckily a gentleman named Simon (a crew member pointed out to us by other guests we were with at the time who have travelled with yourselves previously and know this gentleman, unfortunately we didn’t obtain his surname in all the chaos) was on hand that evening who called the medical staff to advise so a witness to the issue at hand.

I believe my mother is dealing with the injury to my father (on a separate email) to which we would hope for a sympathetic outcome towards him as he is not a young and with already having health issues and certainly doesn’t require anymore due to a H&S infringement on your part or most certainty a H&S negligent issue on MSC.

And to finish on a high note just when we returned to the UK and believed MSC could not cause any more upset my mother finds on the 1st of April that not only have you taken the outstanding balance printed on the final statement on the disembarkation day from BOTH her credit cards you have actually taken it TWICE!

Therefore, taking her over her agreed limitations from the credit card company and then incurring charges against her (again yet another sperate email my mother will be addressing with yourselves)!

All in all, a pretty shocking course of events considering my parents have sailed with yourselves back in 2015 on a Mediterranean cruise and thoroughly enjoyed that one and they cannot believe how downhill MSC as gone in the recent years (an opinion I unfortunately have heard echoed with many other passengers of MSC Seaview when we were onboard this time around.

I would like you to take the time to carefully read over this extensive email and advise me RE my complaint with the (what I feel to be outlandish) repair/replacement charges MSC Seaview have debited me with please and reply in a timely fashion.

FYI, I had been previously advised by another passenger (who was extremely unhappy with the cruise) to take to twitter with my issues, but I prefer to contact you directly to see what your take on all this is before I head down that road.

Regards,

Mark Everitt.