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Hmmm, I have never cruised (I'm ready because of you two) - I was all in and thinking about flights to get to this ship - everything was so beautiful. MSC is now OFF my list. I don't like aggressive behavior - it's a no, for me. You two are always so respectful and positive - if they were aggressive with you two, none of us can be assured we wouldn't be targeted too. My vacation dollars and time are too valuable to me. You two didn't put me off, MSC removed their "Welcome" mat. Consumers ONLY have one vote, their dollars.
that "hairy" fruit is Rambutan, it has a lovely floral flavor to it and you use a knife to pierce the skin and peal it off, it can get a bit messy but it´s my absolute favorite fruit it tastes a bit like lychee (if you know how that tastes). That guy looking at you at 32:21 seems waaay to intressted, I wonder if he thought you where sneaking film of him not doing his job correctly?🤔
Now I know some(like me) could never afford a cruise and use videos like yours to dream about it but with the following you guys have they lost out on like atleast 0,5 milion pounds on this...
We cruised with you guys on the Icon and anytime I saw either of you in a crowded place, you never had the camera running. You both are very respectful of the privacy of other passengers. MSC was 100% in the wrong and owes you an apology.
We met you guys on the MSC Virtuosa on the inaugural cruise and it was full of bloggers, you guys were super professional, so sorry you had to go through this. NOT Good MSC!
I'd be curious to know the exact wording in the statement released by MSC and whether they said they treated Ben & David poorly or they treated the situation poorly. I can't be sure of their wording but you can't treat a "situation" poorly because it will always have a connection w/some sort of life form as far as I know so if they did, it shows a disconnect to the human element. The cruise-line didn't dispute Ben & David's accounts of how they reported they were treated (sometimes it's what people don't say that speaks volumes) but the ship didn't waste any time in getting the word out to other crew members who turned on a dime! Yikes!
My wife was in the middle of booking an MSC Cruise when we saw this video and immediately she told the agent to disregard the booking and was asked why and told her to watch the video. We always look at you guys, but after what happen we subscribed to your channel, thanks for being real.and we look forward to more videos.,
@@Cruisewiththe spiked fruit is a lychee, those are delicious you eat inside it, but dont eat the pip, im not sure if anyone mentioned it, but they are very delicious 😃
It's really a blessing. Not only was a lot of the staff rude but the passengers were something else too. Upside is there is a lot of other great cruise lines. Congrats.
The irony is MSC in doing this has endorsed you as completely honest reviewers whose influence can not be bought. It was priceless how positive your review was until that fateful moment…if only MSC knew at the time. A true reflection on your character is you still posted the positive side of things despite their treatment of you. We love you guys and love what you do..I can’t wait for your next adventure ❤
Its a shame the boys were not informed on the filming policy before boarding. We have cruised three times with MSC in the Med. and have enjoyed all three. What you get for your money is excellent!
You cancelled your family vacation because a couple youtubers weren't allowed to film on a ship? Do we even know that MSC agrees with what the crew did?
Great review by Ben and David - my partner and I love and trust your honest, professional and independent cruise channel. Had your MSC review been allowed to conclude as you intended, we would have been very interested in booking a cruise with MSC. However, despite you clearly having a very positive experience until you were treated so badly by them, we simply could not book with MSC now. We spend our hard earned money very carefully and could not support a company that treats its customers with such contempt - nor a cruise line that sensors honest customer reviews. How stupid and short-sighted of MSC. Well done to Ben and David so taking the high ground and remaining calm and professional - MSC could learn a lot from you. I feel sorry for the MSC marketing department staff - what a self inflicted PR mess!
TRUE STORY! I just found this video because we were just in a toss up on which cruise to book and MSC was in the running and I was looking up reviews. This video just made my choice that much easier. ABSOLUTELY NO MSC for us! THANK YOU!!
@@patricktaubenheim5739 You have said this a few times. But I think you may be a bit confused. Which EU law required MSC to limit the filming of only these two guys? If it was due to a EU legal issue, why were they offered and opportunity to cruise and film if they gave MSC control of the content? You are making up a legal nonsense argument that doesn't exist. Please post the law violation you are referring to.
@@aarondey1992 the data protection laws. Many EU Citizens, especially Germany are very strict with that. On the last trip I was also asked not to film there now because people, in this case Germans, felt disturbed and didn't want to be filmed. If people are filming, this should actually be made known through information sheets. I know that Americans smile if you happen to film them, but Germans in particular would love to take the camera away from you.
@@patricktaubenheim5739 If what you are saying is correct then the other 4,998 passengers on the ship would have been told to stop filming and taking photo's. Ben and David were allowed to film for several days with the full knowledge of crew. Heck, they were even invited on an all expenses paid cruise with MSC if the company were allowed editorial rights. This has nothing to do with data security or privacy and everything with a misguided attempt to control social media by a brand.
If MSC have these filming policies in place, then they should be upfront about it on their cruise contract, website, etc. They should also enforce the policy for everyone. You don't see Carnival enforcing the bringing of alcohol bottles onboard for some guests and not others. You don't see Royal allowing smoking on balconies for some guests and not others. The fact MSC only arbitrarily enforced a made-up policy a few days in tells me they realised who Ben & David are and decided they didn't want them potentially releasing a negative review about MSC. MSC mustn't have confidence in their product if that's case. MSC should be ashamed of the way they treat their paying guests. And the kicker... the staff didn't even offer a goodbye at disembarkation. Just a disgraceful show of contempt for their guests.
Wow. Ker blam! MSC really shot themselves in the foot. That video was well on its way to erasing a lot of bad PR for them. Best moment was how MSC management reacted to them leaving the ship. I would have had my phone in a top shirt pocket recording all the way off the ship.
Why are you surprised? They share content of their cruises which helps cruisers choose with whom to cruise. Since they were even forbidden to take SNAPSHOTS on board (while all the other guests WERE allowed to!), it would feel like a kick in the stomach!!! They might as well been confined to their cabin for the remainder of the cruise. What management opted to do to them was bad for business. THEY did more damage to the reputation of MSC than Ben and David could have ever done!!!
The absolute dumbest thing about all of this is not allowing you to film would never stop you from putting out a negative review. And like they’ve done here they changed an overall positive review into an overwhelming negative. Way to work your PR, MSC. They need to understand how to treat customers.
We are taking a family cruise on MSC in 2 weeks. I've watched all the videos I can find and I now know the good and bad. It's a family cruise so we couldn't afford Princess for 15 of us. Knowing the hi's and lows we are prepared. Can you imagine only hearing highs and not being prepared for the lows?
@@jamesthefirst8790 What a dumb thing to say, unlike Elon, MSC isn’t the 1st or 2nd richest in the world. They’re bottom feeder of the cruise industry right now, with stupid cheap prices even below Carnival. Their Yacht experience (which was quite decent) is HALF of NCL or RCL. They’re desperate for customers like Elon was in the beginning. Elon’s façade was very likable for a decade, enough for me to buy 2 Model Y’s 😂. Had he ignored customers then and be a douchebag like now, no way. I still like my Teslas, but get repulsed every time I hear Elon…THAT’S the feeling now with MSC. Before you reply with something snarky like, “he doesn’t care”, BYD has (QUICKLY) booted Tesla into 2nd place, so people do care what crazy uncle Elon is saying. The universe has a way of humbling all of us. 🕊️☮️💙
@@Epitin ... you may say anything... THEY STILL DON'T GIVE A SHOUT of what "snooty" TH-camrs or Eco drivers say!!! (and I was only comparing them for the "I don't Care" part... not because they are the Richest Company in the World... but why am i wasting time trying to explain this... especially to a guy like you?)
We just cancelled our MSC Europa cruise, 2 yacht suites first week of May and we wrote them why we did ! We also informed our facebook community! We support you ❤ We'll now support our own economy using Virgin cruises !
A happy customer will tell 2 others about their experience. An unhappy customer will tell 10 others (in your case hundreds of thousands). MSC made a BIG BIG mistake with their hypocrisy "rule". I will never ever have MSC get any dime of my hard earned money.
@@angelinatanathey are called influencers for a reason. Obviously people (other than MSC middle management) value what they do and have to say. This is life in 2024. MSC missed the boat. High priced error.
I agree. It seems they were mad about a bad review from 3 years ago. If MSC were smart, they would have made sure that everything on this cruise was top notch. They had the chance to redeem themselves and chose to do the opposite.
Let me first say I love you two and look forward to your content. You have always been so careful with your filming. This is just crazy. Management should have known how to approach for whatever reason. They need training. That being said you have so many followers and I’m sure this will help future cruisers to make a decision regarding MSC. We have done 40+ cruises on Princess and RCCL. It surely helped us. Looking forward to your next adventure 😍😍
@@Lovesapuzzle agree 100%. They were invited and the salesperson should have noted the system (if they have one) that tracks passengers and free offer recipients.
Yes. They were invited on a complementary sailing but declined. They chose to pay their own fare so they wouldn't feel obligated to give a review that was unearned. The odd thing is that MSC knew they were vloggers and invited them. Still MSC treated them shaggily.@@TheJohnebey
Good grief, how embarrassing for MSC... Why would they be so rude to people literally selling their cruise's? It shows an incredible lack of social awareness on their part. Not only that but they ruined your trip! Rude, rude rude.
Is this not the SECOND time MSC staff have been extremely rude to Ben and David whilst filming? Am I misremembering a shortly post-Covid cruise where there was a staff member quite rude and aggressive then, also? Unbelievable... Twice is a pattern.
@@JohnRawlins21 - tax write off? They spent over £10,000 on the cruise, in addition to their flight home + transport to and from the airport. I am not in the same tax bracket as Ben & David but, when I was, I would have squeaked loudly at that loss. They paid their own fair, even though MSC had invited them to be their guest. I think I get what you are saying but not many people can shrug off a loss like that.
Hello, I’m a fan of yours from Japan. I’ve been taking notes from your videos because not only is your content great, but you guys are also polite, thoughtful, and have such good manners. You never speak negatively about service or accommodation just to be condescending. Instead, you are very considerate towards workers, even when they make mistakes. Throughout the videos, you have been respectful to other passengers, not bothering them. I’ve been saving money for a cruise ship vacation, but there's no way I'll choose MSC. Thank you for the great content, and I respect both of you for your respectful, logical, and sincere episodes.
I am so happy you called them out on this. I am a Canadian travel agent. You are spot on when you say this cruise company is ok until you have a problem. I stopped recommending them years ago. Their customer service, or lack thereof is pathetic!
My elderly father cannot travel anymore due to mobility issues. He’s decided he is going to travel vicariously through TH-cam. I cruise a lot. He called me today to ask if I had seen Ben & David’s video yet (in his mind you’re friends 🤪). He told me I better not dare book anything on MSC because they were mean to you. What I saw was horrible customer service & a bad/panicked management. I’m very sorry this happened to you. AND I’ll take Dad’s advice (& yours) and book my cruises elsewhere.
It could be WHERE you're sailing MSC from as well. I only sail MSC out of Miami around the Caribbean and S. America. The ship is 99.837373u3% Italian, some Candians and myself, a relative and like 3 other Americans. Passengers and crew are lovely. Never bad a problem. Maybe....its non US area based MSC that are terrible. I have no desire to cruise out of my hemisphere on it for that reason. 😂
@@BubbleGumzKornerThe whole MSC company will and should wear the responsibility for this disgusting treatment of paying passengers! To try and blame it on a regional issue is garbage and from what I read about their cruises and service, maybe they should consider another business.
I love to cruise through Ben and David. Too old and challenged to even think about packing for a cruise much let alone going to the boat . . . so I love to watch these young people and their adventures. It is a crying shame MSC lived up to its reputation . . they had a chance for redemption and choose to ignore it.
@@35Justme1 I was legitimately interested in the Yacht Club, and we were looking at MSC for a destination cruise next year. As of today, MSC is off our list.
@@andreaontour8961 I'm glad to hear you were lucky. So many stories of over charging, horrible customer service, the cruise line bragging about its profitability tied to lower staff ratios to customers. Just not my cup of tea to take chances with thousands of dollars. Yacht Club interested me. And this video could have put me over the edge to try it. But now I'll stick with Princess and Celebrity.
Ha! I felt the same at fiirst. I also read many bad reviews and was nervous trying it for the first time. My first experience was not bad and I was glad I gave it a shot. My second was fine too. But wait till you have a problem. They problem that they themselves created and no help from them at all. I hope you continue having a good experience but I know with this company there will come a time when they will show what they are made of. I have done two cruises with them but never gain. They cold not care less if you return or not. @@andreaontour8961
Just cancelled our MSC Cruise. I don't support companies that treat customers like this. We do at least 5 cruises a year, and MSC will not be one of them
What a massive own-goal from MSC. They were just about to get a dream review from a highly-trusted source, and they blew the whole thing up. Imagine having so little faith in your product that you panic when you see a returning customer giving you a second chance 😂
My thoughts exactly. Ben and David were giving a fantastic, honest and fair review, which would have boosted MSC yacht club experience to many. To their credit they were amazingly professional, and honestly gave Yacht Club's wonderful grades, after the extremely poor customer service incident, based on the wonderful people that had served them, the quality of food, cabin, and entertainment. Too bad MSC blew this one.
I would review all of their policies. If there is nothing stating that any & all filming & photographs are prohibited, i would definitely file a HUGE LAWSUIT!!!!!
This is ridiculous! For the 2nd time, MSC has mistreated my beloved Ben & David! Even though they are building a port in Galveston, I WILL NOT be cruising with them over this. I was so mad the first time, when they made poor Ben cry. MSC is not for me. I am so sorry guys! ❤🫶❤️
I have been watching your channel for some time now. I appreciate your honest unbiased reviews of the various cruise lines, I am so angry at the way you were treated by MSC and honestly in my humble opinion it might be worth looking into legal action if nothing else to recoup your losses in leaving the ship early. I may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but this looks like discrimination to me!
Having cruised for 30 years, never taken a MSC cruise, I have always been on the fence about MSC. This incident is just enough to make me say, NO, I won't cruise MSC.
The fact that even after the confrontation you still produced and showed such a positive review over this video and the last shows how genuine you both are. It’s a shame it went so badly, we were beginning to change our minds about MSC. Their loss.
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
My wife and I watch your videos before every cruise we go on. And take your recommendations seriously. MSC will not be a line we go on now. Also, the fact that yall were able to take the high road after all that and still give a positive review the way did, says so much about yall. Keep being awesome!!🙂👊
If MSC does not want people filming for "commercial" purposes, like a monetized TH-cam channel, on their ships, that's literally fine. As B&D say, private property. But to 1) NOT communicate this policy in advance, 2) allow some folks to film for "commercial" purposes but not Ben & David, and 3) treat a paying passenger in such a way that they feel a need to hide in their cabin and leave the ship...MSC has completely embarrassed themselves. I am absolutely pissed off on B&D's behalf. I also appreciate Ben and David saying "We're leaving because this is not a vacation, this is work, we are reviewing a product." I would have done the same thing! When you travel for work, "work trips" and "vacations" are two different things. And, if this workplace is not allowing you to continue working there, you're more than valid in picking your stuff up and working elsewhere. I do hope you two get a nice, TRUE vacation sometime in the future.
This type of content is JOURNALISM, it's not commercial. There is a big distinction in the law, at least in the US there is. Monetization does not convert it to a commercial purpose.
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
I have a slight disagreement. Whether for work or pleasure, once you are declared persona non-grata by the crew, there is no way you can enjoy the rest of the cruise so leaving is the best thing for you sanity. It isn't just because they couldn't film anymore but the way they were treated by crew that made it impossible for them to remain on-board.
@@adamp2384it’s not the issue 🤦🏻♂️ if this rule was enforced to everyone , then fine…. But they were specifically targeted. This needs to be constant with ever passengers. Otherwise, it’s discrimination
MSC made a huge mistake. You are the most respectful content creators. You produce the best videos and reviews. Shame on MSC!!! They will never see us on their cruise line!!
@@patricktaubenheim5739 What EU law are you talking about? EU country's have their own laws on videoing and what you can publish on the internet, for instance I live in Spain and it is against the law to film any police officer at any time, it is also against the law to publish to the internet/social media any video that shows anybody that has not given their consent for you to do so, on TH-cam or anywhere else, you can record for your own personal use but not publish without consent of the people in the video. I know that people do post videos but it is still against the law.
Ben and David, we have loved your channel for years. You are real and honest and that is hard to come by. Additionally, you are respectful of other guests and the crew as well, which is also atypical. We appreciate you two and honestly, you should teach a Master Class every vlogger has to take about vlogging etiquette. MSC handled this wrong and we are so sorry this happened to you. We will continue to love and follow you and support your honesty. Thank you for being you.
Hi Ben and David, I’m a retired journalist and it is not uncommon for companies to only allow ‘media’ attention if they have the final yay or nay in publishing. MSC seem to give official permission when they hold the reins. Based on the excellent reviews you were doing I had decided that I would book a cruise with them however I’ve now decided against it. I think their treatment of you on board and the fact that MSC will not allow independent reviews is not very reassuring of a good trip. It’s rather sad really as their ships are very nice. Your honest reviews and terrific personalities are the reason I watch. Keep up the great work guys!❤
Agree that there was an initial invitation for Ben and David to cruise on MSC....but management wanted to direct the narrative by Ben and David. They refused as they did not want coercion and to provide a unbiased and honest review. They have demonstrated their integrity and the shame is on MSC for such manipulative tactics. They should apologise for their disgusting behaviour to two credible and seasoned cruise commentators and sack their arrogant and oppressive management.
I am a retired director of a travel agency on the east coast of the US. under my tutelage this travel agency was the 8th largest on the east coast of the US. what I recall many of my agents saying to our clients is that MSC is hit or miss. So sorry this happened to you, but I'm very glad I discovered your Channel
MSC Just made a big mistake, I just cancelled my cruise with them next year. They may not notice right away but they will soon enough as your co youtuber's share your story.
Good for you!! Thanks for standing up for Ben and David. They are professional and of fine character. There is absolutely no question that MSC screwed up big time and I don’t see how they could possibly recover from this.
Ditto. We travelled with them in February this year and it was the worst cruise we have ever been on. I complained and got nowhere. We had also booked for Xmas this year and are cancelling it. Terrible cruise line.
I have only cruised with MSC once. Had a massive argument with the manager in charge of specialty dining. He accused me of treating him like a slave of all things. I swore I would never return to MSC. You nearly won me over with yacht club, then the rest happened, I realised they are exactly what I remember they are!! Great vid thanks guys
Exactly! My MSC experience was awful. Didn’t do the yacht club. The only really nice employee I encountered out of hundreds was the nice lady who gave me a massage in the spa. Still Facebook friends too!
This was the FIRST GOOD MSC review I’ve ever seen. Everyone else had mediocre to horrible things to say about MSC. You two were so positive, you actually CHANGED MY MIND. I was going to look into cruising with MSC. And then… THIS HAPPENED. MSC isn’t going to get my business. You don’t treat people like this. Shame on MSC!
I agree. This is the ONLY positive review I have seen about ths ship and I actually got a couple of tips for my upcoming (1st MSC cruise) trip in the Yacht club but now I will not book anymore MSC cruises. This treatment is very bad.
Same here. Just finished a P & O (Arvia) cruise after listening to Ben and David's reviews and enjoyed it immensely. Was seriously thinking of trying MSC just because of their favorable review this time, and now this!!
Thanks for all you both do! Really enjoy all your amazing reviews, fantastic attitude, and the respect you have for each other. It is contagious! You should be proud!!! Sorry you had a huge bump in your journey! So glad it looks like a good and fair resolution will come soon! Have a dessert or tea on me Be well and Happy Cruising! Jc JC
I'm so glad you guys left the ship right after this happened and didn't leave yourselves vulnerable to any more verbal abuse from MSC. Thank you for being honest with us and letting us know what happened. I'm absolutely furious you were mistreated like this; they had no right to do this. Scoundrels.
I hope MSC sees this! I, too, will never cruise with this line. And i will tell all my cruise companions to watch your videos before booking on MSC. They are fools for banning you from filming the truth.
@eliciaholland9870 I'm curious, how does their experience on MSC make you think your experience on Disney wouldn't be a good one? I've done 3 now, one with kids 2 without and on 3 different ships, all fantastic experiences. I hope you'll have an open mind and that you have a wonderful time!
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
This is absolutely unacceptable, this kind of treatment is just disgusting. If they have nothing to hide surely filming and reviews shouldn't be a problem. Shame on you MSC. Ben and David deserve a public apology. Take care.
I applaud how you handled this. I also would debark if told i could not film. I get many videos out of a cruise and cannot waste that time. MSC Meraviglia is still the worst cruise we have ever taken, and it is like their ship is run by thugs. A woman swore to me on our cruise that she won nearly 5k on a slot machine and was very excited when casino staff approached her. Only to see them turn off the machine, claim it was malfunctioning and ask her to leave the casino. Hard to consider trying them again.
Almost 17,000 people have seen this video, in 1 hour. MSC, not very smart. Their reviews are below average on many sites. I won’t be taking MSC for any of my trips…EVER On the way to 250,000 views!! MSC really screwed the pooch on this. Other cruising TH-cam reviewers have reported on this as well.
Don’t fret. There’s millions of cruisers out there who will happily spend their money on overcrowded, over priced, cynical, nasty cruise ships because they are essentially dirt cheap (a scam) but dirt cheap nonetheless. Their business plan is to keep you on a vessel where you cannot escape and have no choice but to spend any money with them. Wake up. They are the dirtiest of scams
NOPE FOR MSC. I have been trying to figure out WHO TO CRUSE FIRST. WON'T BE MSC. Don't treat people like that. I know and trust Ben and David did nothing to warrant that treatment. SHAME ON YOU MSC.
In a similar position, we cruise regularly with Royal Caribbean but after Ben & David's last video, we were considering MSC for next summer. No longer.
IDK where you guys reside, but my favorite now is Virgin…only bad (good for me) is that it’s adults-only. Celebrity was my all time fave, but the cheapness of RCL has festered upstream.
I took an MSC cruise in September. The only problem I had was with customer service. It was awful. Y'all are right, MSC isn't a problem until you have a problem.
Yesterday I began booking a cruise with my partner and father-in-law. This morning I saw your video and decided to choose a different cruise line. Thank you so much for posting this video.
You are missing out listening to 2 chronic complainers. I don't blame MSC, these 2 crybabies are well know in the cruise industry as 2 narcissist who look for trouble and find it. MSC is a privately owned company operating under EU law, they have every right to spot complainers looking to ruin their reputation and stop them, I hope MSC files a lawsuit against these 2 morons.
I hope you call corporate and let them know what an unpleasant experience you had when dealing with the management on this ship! I am sorry your experience was so bad. Mgmt way overreacted to you!
It must have been tricky to put the emotions aside when giving the (totally fair) positive elements to their review after the incident. Great integrity by them.
All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
My husband is head of sales for a cruise booking company, We were just looking at booking with MSC yacht club planning our next cruise, after watching the first part of ur review was very excited, then saw the rest and decided to book with another line. Wouldn’t touch them now. You do such an amazing job with you channel giving fantastic unbiased reviews. How silly are MSC?
I can't believe they'd have the audacity to personally invite you on a cruise with the knowledge of what you do, and yet when you pay for yourselves to go, they have an issue with what you do. To be honest, this makes me doubt all other cruise vlogs who give them good reviews. Ben and David, I admire your integrity and honesty. You can sleep easy knowing that you have acted with integrity!!! I will NEVER take a MSC cruise now. Their hypocrisy and need to buy/control good reviews is astounding and promotes a false product to the public - THANK YOU for showing us the hard truth!
@@olympia4282 I honestly would not doubt their experiences but rather add another layer to what others have been saying. Just like with many hotels and the like, experiences can vary drastically and a good experience does not necessarily invalidate a bad one and vice versa. Especially because the people who decided this might not have been on the cruise or known about other vloggers. I've been to places where some reviewers complained about terrible and rude service and experienced none of that. But I've also been to places which were reviewed with the highest praise and received awful service. It does not mean either of the other people lied but that our experiences were just dependent on different people and to some extend also different standards. So I think everything can coexist. What happened was indeed very bad but it was the result of people acting in a certain manner. People who might not always be present to ruin it for other passengers by being incredibly rude. Because people can be very different, especially when it comes to enforcing "rules" and the like. So I would take all sides into consideration. The good and the bad. I honestly wouldn't have minded if MSC had such a policy because more and more people feel bothered by the constant vlogging and filming of others during a time that is considered a rare vacation but it should have been transparent and the staff should have been professional about it. Not to mention that it should be enforced equally. (Not saying that some things won't slip through because you can't supervise everyone, but it seems like they were the only ones affected.) Naturally, there are always several sides but it's undeniable that the conduct was rude and that shouldn't ever happen even in stressful situations. There was no reason to come onto them that strongly to enforce a rule. I'd just be aware that many places occasionally have bad staff experiences making questionable decisions without it all meaning the entirety of it being bad. Experiences can vary greatly and I just want to say while this was a terrible experience that never should have happened to them, it doesn't automatically turn every good MSC review bad. It just adds another layer to all manner of experiences, both good and bad and at the end, every person needs to decide for themselves what is and isn't a dealbreaker to them. And even if 99% of reviews were positive, you could still belong to that 1% who had some bad experiences turning the whole trip bad. Please don't forget that the internet just has made many things more accessible, including reviews that might have just been reduced to a few negative words on a review portal otherwise. There are not many places which can boast 100% customer satisfaction because opinions and experiences can differ so greatly. So hearing one horrific experiences might not deter someone if all others are good in return and appear like real accounts. Their experience was not good and it's valid to share but at the same time it does not have to mean all of MSC is bad. At least not worse than many big businesses are. This review is valid but so are others if they are real and unsponsored expriences. It's okay for others to say that they won't book such a cruise but at the same time, it also doesn't mean anyone is evil if they do because they heard good things, too. This is just to add some nuance because many people are quick to blame MSC as a whole and anyone giving them good reviews when in reality, their experience was just a lot better. In the best case, they were the victims of some awful people which are hard to avoid hiring completely because you can never know how people truly are. MSC would still need to compensate both of them properly. But in such a case, MSC would have very little to do with the behavior as a whole. In the worst case, MSC endorsed such behavior, but that will be hard to prove. Either way, I would not pin it on other creators and reviewers unless it somehow became clear their review was faked.
MSC owes you a public apology. I have booked a 7 day cruise out of Bari later this year, I will cancel, even though you gave a positive review, no cruise line should treat any guest like you were treated
So my red, white, and blue American blood really got me in this video... what the crap? I am SO sorry you guys went through that, that's so scary - think if this was a resort hotel censoring you? It's obvious, they were threatened that you're honest and maybe there was homophobia mixed in...? REGARDLESS I loved your review, the ship looked great. I love your videos because YOU DON'T sugar coat, you don't take sponsors and if you do you always stipulate you're allowed your honest opinions, and your genuine reactions and impressions are why I watch you. YOU DO NOT SENSATIONALIZE so I respect y'all even more after this and send you love from across the pond
Do you plan to tell them _why_ you're canceling? If enough people do that, maybe a 25 watt light bulb will go off for them and they'll realize that treating paying customers like garbage - customers who give them free PR - is a really bad idea.
@@andy70d35 we don’t know that they’re going to lose their money. July is four months away and depending on the cruise lines, cancellation policy, they can get their money back or a big percentage of it.
MSC will soon regret what they did. I am sure they will have someone take a look at this video and all the comments. They could have handled this much differently. You were giving them such a great review. They really blew it.
We went on an MSC cruise after seeing an “influencer” who had had a free trip and raved about it. We hated it and had terrible food, terrible customer service and then we discovered you and wish we had “met” you first! I’m so sorry you guys were treated so badly - it’s not acceptable or fair! Keep doing you because you guys are great and your reviews are so helpful
Yes, literally if you are not in the area Ben and David were in it's actually terrible. I was on a short one a while back with a lot of people from the industry and it was terrible.
I am really glad that MSC reached out to you both. I was in tears witnessing how you were being treated. It was heartbreaking. I really admire you for keeping your cool. Your honesty about your cruises are one of the many reasons we watch you. Thank you for being amazing!
My heart broke for Ben who looked like he was taking this really hard. However, I will try the “Yacht Clurb” because of our boys’ honest and glowing review.
Oh my gosh.....I am so happy I saw this video today! My husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this fall and have decided to treat our 4 married children and 7 grandkids to an MSC cruise. This is 17 people in several cabins for tens of thousands of dollars that MSC will not be getting! I am taking a stand with you to vote with my dollars. There are plenty of other cruise lines and itineraries we can choose from. I am working on it right now. Shame on you MSC! How stupid of you to have treated paying customers this way. David and Ben have a hugely loyal following. I don't think you have a clue about the amount of money this one move will cost your company. Customer service is THE most important thing and the power of the internet has eluded you! Thank you Ben and David for what you do! You are the Best vloggers in the cruise world! Bravo!
@@JohnRawlins21 What is so hard to understand? They were singled out, when there are plenty of other TH-camrs filming on their ships, and they weren't asked not to film, they were TOLD not to film. They were told they couldn't even take personal photos of each other - the person they're MARRIED to. How would you like it if you were rudely told you couldn't even take a photo of your spouse/partner? Other people here understand how stupidly rude this is, and are voting with their wallets to not reward this company for being rude and biased toward two specific paying passengers.
@@JohnRawlins21since you like to be pedantic, why aren’t you verifying that MSC are asking ALL passengers if they are TH-camrs? If it is their policy, then surely they must verify anyone who is filming is not doing so for commercial purposes.
We just cancelled our cruise with MSC for next year. After watching this we do not want to support this company. Such appalling behaviour. Most of our travelling is done because we watch you guys for honest opinions and tid bits of how to travel. Keep up the good work guys. ❤
I keep almost booking an MSC cruise because it’s. So. Cheap…. And then I read the reviews / see videos like this. “Everything’s great until something goes wrong”. No thanks. Thanks for putting this together boys! ❤
I said the same thing. If they don't apologize and offer them a free cruise with VIP tours of the ship and treatment, they're not going to do well in this day and age. I'm a travel advisor, and after seeing this, I don't want to sell MSC.
@@angelinatana that is why I wanted to go, but you have missed the point. If this is how MSC treats its customers, I will be doing my clients the best service by advising them to cruise with a different line. Why on Earth would I want my clients to experience something like this?
You guys are such a CLASS ACT. My husband and I love watching your high-quality videos. You have helped us many times make decisions on our cruises, and with packing and other itinerary options. We've especially loved the latest series which was making us excited to try MSC again - and even possibly splurge for the Yaught Club upgrade .... We've cruised with them twice and had overall very positive experiences. [We never had interaction with management] Ironically, we actually chose to cruise on MSC Maraviglia in January 2020 because of your balanced previous ship review - even though you were very open with the negatives - we simply went in with proper expectations because the value for the price was what we needed at the time if we wanted to take a cruise. It is incredibly sad the cruise management treated you so abusively! Absolutely Baffling and short-sighted. I heard a rumor that there may have been a recent development you will be sharing with us. Looking forward to your next video.
The MSC corporate office should watch this video and find out which onboard managers made this decision and presented it so rudely. You are two polite gentlemen, and because you have 241,000 subscribers, they're going to get some bad PR. There's no doubt that some potential cruisers will choose another line this year because of this video.
It really is a shame because MSC had such a good opportunity here to use Ben and David’s influence for good and to turn the stories they’ve presented in the past around. Instead, some manager really blew it. Unfortunately, how a manager acts is usually a result of company culture, so I doubt corporate would disagree with what happened.
@@Cruisewith please share any response they give (censored for sensitive content of course) - it'll be intriguing whether head office will be on your side or double down on their terrible take (or fake the former but actually be the latter)
As a cruise agent, this is very concerning for any client looking to book a cruise with MSC. I worry they will run into the same issues with filming and will definitely warn my clients that there is a possibility this type of treatment is possible. They can decide for themselves if this cruisline is for them. Ben and Dave should not have been targeted and treated with such disregard.
The TA we use had flat out told us last year when we were researching cruises out of the NY/NJ area that she does not book MSC because they are not TA friendly. That gave us concern…we chose Celebrity instead and now watching this…👎🏻. I hope they realize how shady they are, and apologize to both of you and ask you to reconsider cruising with them again and then you can turn around and say😒 NO THANK YOU!!! Keep up the good work! ❤
It’s amazing how incompetent some managers can be. I have so many bad reviews about MSC that I would never jump on one of their tubs. Your review just confirmed my views
@@JohnRawlins21Love that you ignored another comment on this video you were previously responding to that provided you with an accurate definition of censorship (which would include the situation B&D find themselves in) just so you can type up other comments that prove you both have no idea how censorship works and have absolutely no interest in learning lmao
I'm just catching up on a few of your video reviews now, but I wanted to say that I'm so sorry this happened to you, and you are totally justified in leaving. Companies who don't want genuine feedback are only looking to make sudden profits but not have repeat, satisfied customers. Hugs from Canada!!
I work retail and there has been one thing my manager has taught me when it comes to customer service. We can not control our company's policies or pricing but what we can control is how we act when dealing with a customer who is upset. I was taught the HEART method when working at a pervious job and it is all about hearing a customer out, empathizing, apologizing, reacting as in try to come up with some kind of resolution, and finally thanking them which most of the time is for their patience. Customer service is everything when it comes to a business, if it sucks the customer will drive an hour to a 2nd location if they are treated better.
Ben and David, I absolutely love your content. You are so thorough, professional, and fun. I am so sorry this happened to you, but I am glad they made it right in the end. It is even better that they will learn from it and it is great that they are partnering with you. You deserve all the respect for how you conduct yourselves as content creators. Thank you for carrying on despite the setbacks. I look forward to your future videos.
The best part of this is, I'm sitting here watching with my wife, and for the first half I'm telling her "We've got to try this Yacht Club thing." Then we get to the part where Ben is dealing with the MSC coward not wanting to risk a bad review. I am officially boycotting MSC. I will never sail on them. There are just too many options out there. You two have helped us so much with all things cruising, and there is no way I'm betraying you for those corporate jerks. This isn't an empty boycott either, as we live an hours drive to the Port Canaveral cruise port, and were seriously considering MSC. There's a few thousand dollars that they will not get. Very sorry you had to go through this but it did help us decide where our vacation money was going.
Often thought about booking Msc it's a defiantly a no from Me after hearing this. Sorry to hear how you were treated You are very honest in your rivews good or bad. Very short sighted on MSC part
After the first half of the video I was so impressed with MSC I was checking availabilty to book a cruise for my extended family, but after their treatment of you two, I'm scratching MSC off my list. Discussing their filming concerns with you is one thing. Being aggressive and rude is quite another. Bon voyage, MSC.
I have no reason to film on a cruise, but this makes you wonder how staff would treat you if something else happened. It's fine they asked not to film but no reason to turn on B and D when they left being rude
This guy has been going around on other comments saying that people defending B& D have confusing statements and that B&D are in the wrong etc ignore them. Trhey're looking for a fight and obviously love MSC and are hurt about the honest review B &D gave@@KB-tu4os
MSC should be ashamed for the treatment you rec'd. Love watching your youtube, I think you both are very funny and I really enjoy watching. Keep up the good work.
The issue for me isn't that they stopped you filming, the issue is the way they did it. They could have done it respectfully and professionally instead of aggressively. I'll never cruise with them because the idea of doing something they think is wrong and them getting aggressive with me is not something I'm going to risk.
Yes. As Ben and David said they understand private property and general concern for all passengers, ect but this wasn't handled appropriately (nor during the last similar circumstances). They were clearly singled out, there are inconsistencies in MSC policy and it seems management feels as tho they have a green light to be aggressive and rude. Red flags all around.
The issue isn't only their being aggressive. It's that Ben and David were singled out for this treatment. That suggests a rather nasty agenda on the cruise line's part. I have to wonder why they would think professional vloggers would agree to a free cruise, only to be told what to say, presumably for the purpose of saying, "See, we've changed, we're nice now!" and then proving the total opposite.
@@lindastradley9788 you misunderstood their comment. They are wondering (separately) about how others who are given a free cruise would report on their experience. Clearly MSC offers free cruises to other TH-camrs/vloggers/influences. Bottom line, can't trust someone who accepts a free cruise (that comes with control over content). This is not the case with B&D.
All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
Oh dear MSC just shot themselves in the foot! How ridiculous. I am sorry you were treated this way, but also grateful that you stick to your principles and produce non biased reviews which enable us to make informed decisions for ourselves. Onwards and upwards guys xx
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
This is shocking from MSC. You should not have been treated so poorly. I appreciate the videos on your channel. What a public relations misstep from MSC.
My wife and I cruise a good bit, and we always hope to run into y'all. We've been watching for a while now, and ever since the first issue with MSC we've stayed away from them. We've also seen other TH-cam videos with bad experiences. After this, we are definitely staying away. Keep up the great work, we love watching your videos!
Well MSC "Big Mistake. Big. Huge" This isn't just going viral on your page, but other cruise vloggers pages. What a huge marketing fiasco. A positive review that turned into a viral nightmare.
@@JohnRawlins21 Usually cruise companies want the free advertising and feedback and treat cruise TH-camrs better than regular guests if anything. If they're treating Ben and David this badly think about how they'll treat regular guests.
I love you guys. Your sense of fairness is exemplary. Up until the time you were asked to stop filming, your reviews were changing my opinion of MSC. I thought the Yacht Club might be worth trying. Not now. MSC sealed their fate with me (not that they care, apparently). On to something positive...my favorite Benism in this review was, "well, paint me gold and call me an Oscar!" LOL!!!
it starts way erlier, I suspect the guy on 32:21 thought they filmed him doing something he shouldn´t ? EDIT: if you look back at the film you can see how he almost seems to make sure he IS IN the picture🤔.
@@hypnotherapy69 I didn't catch that at first, went back and you're 100% correct. The way he keeps looking over. Granted, I've seen that on my cruises as well, if I'm walking about with my camera (I don't vlog, just personal videos), I've had a lot of crew try to make eye contact and if I smiled at them, I'd get a cheesy smile back, thumbs up, that sort of thing. I love that to be honest. But the way he keeps positioning himself and then they get treated like absolute garbage? I don't think THAT's a coincidence.
@@hypnotherapy69 I saw that too and have a separate comment on it. That guy is purposely looking at Ben & David, and I can just see him running back to tell his boss.
@@hypnotherapy69 the guy clearing/setting tables in the restaurant? I saw him look at the camera, but how bizarre if he’s the one that got upset to see a guest filming. Bartenders were smiling and waving at the camera in other shots.
Thank you for you're honest review. We recently travelled on the MSC Eurbia where my grandson was abused both mentally and physically by a foreign couple which was caught on security camera, we where told to complain when we got home to no avail their security video went missing, we weren't the only people that were subject to this couple on that cruise. This couple had a go at another child. MSC were not bothered they could on not cared less. We complained to Guest services they weren't bothered neither were the company we booked the cruise through.
You guys are great & MSC is a terrible cruise line. We cruised on the Meraviglia in 2023 & we were spoken to so rudely & harshly by the maitre d when requesting a table for 2 instead of comutal dining we wanted to just leave the ship. Other passengers who heard the the way we were spoken to were appalled at the treatment. In the follow up questionnaire sent to us by MSC we addressed the issue but never received a response from MSC. Thank you for exposing them!
Ya we also experience rude bartenders on the pool deck about 70% of the time. I will never cruise on MSC again. Their breakfast food is probably catered by McDonals. The pancakes I ordered in the restaurant were like rubber and cold. Eggs were also bad but bread the bread was pretty good.
@@JohnRawlins21Yes, they do. The cruise ship only needed to go so far as to communicate with B&D that they needed to stop filming, if that is indeed a policy they have for everyone. That's it. They didn't need to treat them with any more suspicion or aggressiveness than anyone else who was also there and filming or taking pictures, and they didn't need to hover around them afterwards. Everything aside from simply telling them to stop filming (which they immediately complied with) was over and beyond what they "needed" to do to accomplish what they wanted, and beyond rude by any sane persons standards. I would expect an apology if I was treated that way, and I expect any other self respecting person would, as well.
I am absolutely APPALLED what they did to you!! There's no way I will EVER step foot on any MSC cruise. I feel really bad for both of you! Don't let this get you down, I'll always look forward to watching your videos. Great job guys!!
As I was sitting and watching this video I was searching MSC yacht club cabins looking to book. Then the shoe dropped and I got to the part where y’all were told to stop filming. Instantly I left the website. I’ve had my fill of censoring over the past several years and will not give my money willingly to a company that would do this. Thank you for honestly reviewing this ship such that you were able. You were both very gracious to MSC-much more than I would have been.
My fiance was also finally looking at booking World America, and a Yacht Club Suite, no less. We were fairly sold. And I've been trying to talk him into doing the inaugural to no avail. Finally started to talk him into it, so I can sell MSC (I'm a Travel Advisor)...and then THAT happened. Now he's back to wanting to do Norwegian Aqua's inaugural instead. I was so close. But now I don't wanna cruise MSC either. We also film for marketing purposes. 🤦🏻♀️
I've watched other travel bloggers having issues with MSC. This situation was shortsighted of the customer service agents. More than the accommodations, food and attractions, how customers are treated is the epitome of a company's reputation. This is poor planning by MSC, and just adds up to another reason not to use their products. I'm looking forward to see if MSC reaches out and offers an apology to Ben and David. I hope the MSC's management will make some sort of effort to rectify MSC's bad treatment. It doesn't matter if Ben and David have a TH-cam channel, one point of cruising is to video/film your activities. If MSC starts censoring guests randomly, they can expect less bookings. Sorry guys, hope this was a one time only situation and you never have to deal with this sort of poor treatment in the future. Love watching your youtube channel, your straight up reporting of services is appreciated.
Unbelievable! Will never travel with a company that is so ashamed of their product that they remove reviewers ability to share opinions . Thanks Ben and David for your honest description of events.
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Hmmm, I have never cruised (I'm ready because of you two) - I was all in and thinking about flights to get to this ship - everything was so beautiful. MSC is now OFF my list. I don't like aggressive behavior - it's a no, for me. You two are always so respectful and positive - if they were aggressive with you two, none of us can be assured we wouldn't be targeted too. My vacation dollars and time are too valuable to me. You two didn't put me off, MSC removed their "Welcome" mat. Consumers ONLY have one vote, their dollars.
that "hairy" fruit is Rambutan, it has a lovely floral flavor to it and you use a knife to pierce the skin and peal it off, it can get a bit messy but it´s my absolute favorite fruit it tastes a bit like lychee (if you know how that tastes). That guy looking at you at 32:21 seems waaay to intressted, I wonder if he thought you where sneaking film of him not doing his job correctly?🤔
And, word will travel well beyond Ben and David’s fans here as well.
Now I know some(like me) could never afford a cruise and use videos like yours to dream about it but with the following you guys have they lost out on like atleast 0,5 milion pounds on this...
I will not be traveling with MSC 😟
We cruised with you guys on the Icon and anytime I saw either of you in a crowded place, you never had the camera running. You both are very respectful of the privacy of other passengers.
MSC was 100% in the wrong and owes you an apology.
@@JohnRawlins21it makes perfect sense and you're trolling everyone's kind comments. Don't respond, OP.
We met you guys on the MSC Virtuosa on the inaugural cruise and it was full of bloggers, you guys were super professional, so sorry you had to go through this. NOT Good MSC!
Absolutely owe you both an apology!
The fact that you were able to still give an unbiased review despite what happened is very impressive. MSC should really be ashamed.
They are so professional for being able to do this!
Agreed, their integrity is second to none here. Well done guys on staying unbiased.
Hmm . The guys got a full refund and an apology otherwise they wouldn't be so forgiving. And good for Ben and David
I'd be curious to know the exact wording in the statement released by MSC and whether they said they treated Ben & David poorly or they treated the situation poorly.
I can't be sure of their wording but you can't treat a "situation" poorly because it will always have a connection w/some sort of life form as far as I know so if they did, it shows a disconnect to the human element.
The cruise-line didn't dispute Ben & David's accounts of how they reported they were treated (sometimes it's what people don't say that speaks volumes) but the ship didn't waste any time in getting the word out to other crew members who turned on a dime! Yikes!
@@richardg8651the refund and apology came after this video.
My wife was in the middle of booking an MSC Cruise when we saw this video and immediately she told the agent to disregard the booking and was asked why and told her to watch the video. We always look at you guys, but after what happen we subscribed to your channel, thanks for being real.and we look forward to more videos.,
Thanks so much for your support ❤️
Well done!
@@Cruisewiththe spiked fruit is a lychee, those are delicious you eat inside it, but dont eat the pip, im not sure if anyone mentioned it, but they are very delicious 😃
@@sarahmegs1578 specifically a Rambutan
😂😂😂 As if...
My husband and I have decided to cancel our 1st wedding anniversary cruise with MSC, we support you❤
PROUD OF YOU! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
@129jaystreet So glad I'm married to a loving man that makes these decisions with me and is not an a**hole.
It's really a blessing. Not only was a lot of the staff rude but the passengers were something else too. Upside is there is a lot of other great cruise lines. Congrats.
What great People ❤❤❤
Hope you two have a Wonderful Anniversary!!
The more I hear about MSC, the less I want to try the cruise line,
Yeah SAVE your money c
Don’t even go on MSC
same here, too many red flags for me
Ditto.
I've felt that way since the first time they sailed with them. Nope.
The irony is MSC in doing this has endorsed you as completely honest reviewers whose influence can not be bought. It was priceless how positive your review was until that fateful moment…if only MSC knew at the time. A true reflection on your character is you still posted the positive side of things despite their treatment of you. We love you guys and love what you do..I can’t wait for your next adventure ❤
Its a shame the boys were not informed on the filming policy before boarding. We have cruised three times with MSC in the Med. and have enjoyed all three. What you get for your money is excellent!
Just cancelled our scheduled cruise with MSC for the family. A family suite for 5. MSC does NOT deserve our business.
Hope you told them the reason for the cancellation.
I’ve always enjoyed a NCL cruise with my family, maybe try them if you have not yet. Never knew MSC was this shitty to people.
@@angelinatana this is not good for their looks, it will always hurt a company.
You cancelled your family vacation because a couple youtubers weren't allowed to film on a ship? Do we even know that MSC agrees with what the crew did?
It wasn't just the crew, it was the managers.what a shame.@@missinglinkevents
Great review by Ben and David - my partner and I love and trust your honest, professional and independent cruise channel. Had your MSC review been allowed to conclude as you intended, we would have been very interested in booking a cruise with MSC. However, despite you clearly having a very positive experience until you were treated so badly by them, we simply could not book with MSC now. We spend our hard earned money very carefully and could not support a company that treats its customers with such contempt - nor a cruise line that sensors honest customer reviews. How stupid and short-sighted of MSC. Well done to Ben and David so taking the high ground and remaining calm and professional - MSC could learn a lot from you. I feel sorry for the MSC marketing department staff - what a self inflicted PR mess!
TRUE STORY! I just found this video because we were just in a toss up on which cruise to book and MSC was in the running and I was looking up reviews. This video just made my choice that much easier. ABSOLUTELY NO MSC for us! THANK YOU!!
It is EU Law, unfortunately!
Good decision! We did an MSC cruise to Northern Europe, the worst cruise we've ever been on!
@@patricktaubenheim5739 You have said this a few times. But I think you may be a bit confused. Which EU law required MSC to limit the filming of only these two guys? If it was due to a EU legal issue, why were they offered and opportunity to cruise and film if they gave MSC control of the content? You are making up a legal nonsense argument that doesn't exist. Please post the law violation you are referring to.
@@aarondey1992 the data protection laws. Many EU Citizens, especially Germany are very strict with that. On the last trip I was also asked not to film there now because people, in this case Germans, felt disturbed and didn't want to be filmed. If people are filming, this should actually be made known through information sheets.
I know that Americans smile if you happen to film them, but Germans in particular would love to take the camera away from you.
@@patricktaubenheim5739 If what you are saying is correct then the other 4,998 passengers on the ship would have been told to stop filming and taking photo's. Ben and David were allowed to film for several days with the full knowledge of crew. Heck, they were even invited on an all expenses paid cruise with MSC if the company were allowed editorial rights. This has nothing to do with data security or privacy and everything with a misguided attempt to control social media by a brand.
If MSC have these filming policies in place, then they should be upfront about it on their cruise contract, website, etc. They should also enforce the policy for everyone. You don't see Carnival enforcing the bringing of alcohol bottles onboard for some guests and not others. You don't see Royal allowing smoking on balconies for some guests and not others. The fact MSC only arbitrarily enforced a made-up policy a few days in tells me they realised who Ben & David are and decided they didn't want them potentially releasing a negative review about MSC. MSC mustn't have confidence in their product if that's case.
MSC should be ashamed of the way they treat their paying guests. And the kicker... the staff didn't even offer a goodbye at disembarkation. Just a disgraceful show of contempt for their guests.
Wow. Ker blam! MSC really shot themselves in the foot. That video was well on its way to erasing a lot of bad PR for them. Best moment was how MSC management reacted to them leaving the ship. I would have had my phone in a top shirt pocket recording all the way off the ship.
Why are you surprised? They share content of their cruises which helps cruisers choose with whom to cruise. Since they were even forbidden to take SNAPSHOTS on board (while all the other guests WERE allowed to!), it would feel like a kick in the stomach!!! They might as well been confined to their cabin for the remainder of the cruise. What management opted to do to them was bad for business. THEY did more damage to the reputation of MSC than Ben and David could have ever done!!!
@@lindastradley9788
💯🎯👍
Should not MSC post conspicuous notices in all common areas announcing prohibition photos and video?
@@angelinatana Don’t think so. They were previously invited by MSC to cruise free and create content in the yacht club.
The absolute dumbest thing about all of this is not allowing you to film would never stop you from putting out a negative review. And like they’ve done here they changed an overall positive review into an overwhelming negative. Way to work your PR, MSC. They need to understand how to treat customers.
We are taking a family cruise on MSC in 2 weeks. I've watched all the videos I can find and I now know the good and bad. It's a family cruise so we couldn't afford Princess for 15 of us. Knowing the hi's and lows we are prepared. Can you imagine only hearing highs and not being prepared for the lows?
The good thing about MSC... is that they are like Elon Musk... they don't give a "you know what" about yours or these guys opinion.
@@jamesthefirst8790 What a dumb thing to say, unlike Elon, MSC isn’t the 1st or 2nd richest in the world. They’re bottom feeder of the cruise industry right now, with stupid cheap prices even below Carnival. Their Yacht experience (which was quite decent) is HALF of NCL or RCL. They’re desperate for customers like Elon was in the beginning. Elon’s façade was very likable for a decade, enough for me to buy 2 Model Y’s 😂. Had he ignored customers then and be a douchebag like now, no way. I still like my Teslas, but get repulsed every time I hear Elon…THAT’S the feeling now with MSC. Before you reply with something snarky like, “he doesn’t care”, BYD has (QUICKLY) booted Tesla into 2nd place, so people do care what crazy uncle Elon is saying. The universe has a way of humbling all of us. 🕊️☮️💙
@@Epitin ... you may say anything... THEY STILL DON'T GIVE A SHOUT of what "snooty" TH-camrs or Eco drivers say!!! (and I was only comparing them for the "I don't Care" part... not because they are the Richest Company in the World... but why am i wasting time trying to explain this... especially to a guy like you?)
Be sure to take your cameras and tell them Ben and David sent you.
We just cancelled our MSC Europa cruise, 2 yacht suites first week of May and we wrote them why we did ! We also informed our facebook community! We support you ❤ We'll now support our own economy using Virgin cruises !
A happy customer will tell 2 others about their experience. An unhappy customer will tell 10 others (in your case hundreds of thousands). MSC made a BIG BIG mistake with their hypocrisy "rule". I will never ever have MSC get any dime of my hard earned money.
@@angelinatana okay anonymous poster from MSC. 😂🤣
@@angelinatananope reviews are a big part of if people want to support a product and i trust their review is accurate….
This is 100% true! I as a TA will not travel with them, and will definitely discourage my clients!
@@angelinatana trusted content creators will influence a lot of people MSC screwed up
@@angelinatanathey are called influencers for a reason. Obviously people (other than MSC middle management) value what they do and have to say. This is life in 2024. MSC missed the boat. High priced error.
This is the worst way MSC could have handled this.
Absolutely. It's a bizarre way to attempt to silence negative reviews, even more so as this latest video would have had significant positive aspects.
I agree. It seems they were mad about a bad review from 3 years ago. If MSC were smart, they would have made sure that everything on this cruise was top notch. They had the chance to redeem themselves and chose to do the opposite.
Let me first say I love you two and look forward to your content. You have always been so careful with your filming. This is just crazy. Management should have known how to approach for whatever reason. They need training. That being said you have so many followers and I’m sure this will help future cruisers
to make a decision regarding MSC. We have done 40+ cruises on Princess and RCCL. It surely helped us. Looking forward to your next adventure 😍😍
@@Lovesapuzzle agree 100%. They were invited and the salesperson should have noted the system (if they have one) that tracks passengers and free offer recipients.
Yes. They were invited on a complementary sailing but declined. They chose to pay their own fare so they wouldn't feel obligated to give a review that was unearned. The odd thing is that MSC knew they were vloggers and invited them. Still MSC treated them shaggily.@@TheJohnebey
Good grief, how embarrassing for MSC... Why would they be so rude to people literally selling their cruise's? It shows an incredible lack of social awareness on their part. Not only that but they ruined your trip! Rude, rude rude.
Yup. This is far worse PR than a bad review. Especially when the review looked to be good
Streisand effect will go mad with this!
Is this not the SECOND time MSC staff have been extremely rude to Ben and David whilst filming? Am I misremembering a shortly post-Covid cruise where there was a staff member quite rude and aggressive then, also? Unbelievable... Twice is a pattern.
@@JohnRawlins21 - tax write off? They spent over £10,000 on the cruise, in addition to their flight home + transport to and from the airport. I am not in the same tax bracket as Ben & David but, when I was, I would have squeaked loudly at that loss. They paid their own fair, even though MSC had invited them to be their guest. I think I get what you are saying but not many people can shrug off a loss like that.
We will NEVER sail MSC. Just like we will NEVER sail Carnival ever again!!
Controlling media always makes me suspicious.
Hello, I’m a fan of yours from Japan.
I’ve been taking notes from your videos because not only is your content great, but you guys are also polite, thoughtful, and have such good manners.
You never speak negatively about service or accommodation just to be condescending. Instead, you are very considerate towards workers, even when they make mistakes. Throughout the videos, you have been respectful to other passengers, not bothering them.
I’ve been saving money for a cruise ship vacation, but there's no way I'll choose MSC.
Thank you for the great content, and I respect both of you for your respectful, logical, and sincere episodes.
I am so happy you called them out on this. I am a Canadian travel agent. You are spot on when you say this cruise company is ok until you have a problem. I stopped recommending them years ago. Their customer service, or lack thereof is pathetic!
My elderly father cannot travel anymore due to mobility issues. He’s decided he is going to travel vicariously through TH-cam. I cruise a lot. He called me today to ask if I had seen Ben & David’s video yet (in his mind you’re friends 🤪). He told me I better not dare book anything on MSC because they were mean to you. What I saw was horrible customer service & a bad/panicked management. I’m very sorry this happened to you. AND I’ll take Dad’s advice (& yours) and book my cruises elsewhere.
It could be WHERE you're sailing MSC from as well. I only sail MSC out of Miami around the Caribbean and S. America. The ship is 99.837373u3% Italian, some Candians and myself, a relative and like 3 other Americans.
Passengers and crew are lovely. Never bad a problem. Maybe....its non US area based MSC that are terrible. I have no desire to cruise out of my hemisphere on it for that reason. 😂
@@BubbleGumzKornerThe whole MSC company will and should wear the responsibility for this disgusting treatment of paying passengers! To try and blame it on a regional issue is garbage and from what I read about their cruises and service, maybe they should consider another business.
I love to cruise through Ben and David. Too old and challenged to even think about packing for a cruise much let alone going to the boat . . . so I love to watch these young people and their adventures. It is a crying shame MSC lived up to its reputation . . they had a chance for redemption and choose to ignore it.
This makes me wonder how MSC would treat passengers with disabilities!
@@timbrown8581From Miami is not much better. Food was worse.
This helps us confirm our decision that we will never cruise with MSC. On so many levels they sound like an unpleasant cruise experience.
Until about half way through the video, I was slowly getting convinced to give MSC a go... Yeah, no. Not any more.
@@35Justme1 I was legitimately interested in the Yacht Club, and we were looking at MSC for a destination cruise next year. As of today, MSC is off our list.
Heard and read so many bad things about MSC, luckily i gave it a try, it was amazing!
@@andreaontour8961 I'm glad to hear you were lucky. So many stories of over charging, horrible customer service, the cruise line bragging about its profitability tied to lower staff ratios to customers. Just not my cup of tea to take chances with thousands of dollars. Yacht Club interested me. And this video could have put me over the edge to try it. But now I'll stick with Princess and Celebrity.
Ha! I felt the same at fiirst. I also read many bad reviews and was nervous trying it for the first time. My first experience was not bad and I was glad I gave it a shot. My second was fine too. But wait till you have a problem. They problem that they themselves created and no help from them at all. I hope you continue having a good experience but I know with this company there will come a time when they will show what they are made of. I have done two cruises with them but never gain. They cold not care less if you return or not. @@andreaontour8961
Just cancelled our MSC Cruise. I don't support companies that treat customers like this. We do at least 5 cruises a year, and MSC will not be one of them
What a massive own-goal from MSC. They were just about to get a dream review from a highly-trusted source, and they blew the whole thing up. Imagine having so little faith in your product that you panic when you see a returning customer giving you a second chance 😂
Well said!
Lol
So totally agree with you
This was my thoughts exactly.
My thoughts exactly. Ben and David were giving a fantastic, honest and fair review, which would have boosted MSC yacht club experience to many. To their credit they were amazingly professional, and honestly gave Yacht Club's wonderful grades, after the extremely poor customer service incident, based on the wonderful people that had served them, the quality of food, cabin, and entertainment. Too bad MSC blew this one.
The reason I watch is because you are honest,respectful, do not act entitled, and of course have a sense of humor.SHAME ON YOU, MSC!❤❤
So sorry for your experience. Very hypocritical of MSC. Are they so ashamed of their own product that they're scared of their passengers? Shameful!
I would review all of their policies. If there is nothing stating that any & all filming & photographs are prohibited, i would definitely file a HUGE LAWSUIT!!!!!
This is ridiculous! For the 2nd time, MSC has mistreated my beloved Ben & David! Even though they are building a port in Galveston, I WILL NOT be cruising with them over this. I was so mad the first time, when they made poor Ben cry. MSC is not for me. I am so sorry guys! ❤🫶❤️
Same! Much ❤ from Houston TX
That puts me right off they don’t get a good name at the best of times MSC shame on you 😢
U should sue them this is crazy lets have a boycott
😮😮😮😮😮😮
I have been watching your channel for some time now. I appreciate your honest unbiased reviews of the various cruise lines, I am so angry at the way you were treated by MSC and honestly in my humble opinion it might be worth looking into legal action if nothing else to recoup your losses in leaving the ship early. I may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but this looks like discrimination to me!
Having cruised for 30 years, never taken a MSC cruise, I have always been on the fence about MSC. This incident is just enough to make me say, NO, I won't cruise MSC.
It is EU Law, unfortunately!
Elaborate.@@patricktaubenheim5739
The fact that even after the confrontation you still produced and showed such a positive review over this video and the last shows how genuine you both are. It’s a shame it went so badly, we were beginning to change our minds about MSC. Their loss.
@@angelinatana You can't experience everything yourself though lol. That's why we live through guys like this.
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
My wife and I watch your videos before every cruise we go on. And take your recommendations seriously. MSC will not be a line we go on now. Also, the fact that yall were able to take the high road after all that and still give a positive review the way did, says so much about yall. Keep being awesome!!🙂👊
If MSC does not want people filming for "commercial" purposes, like a monetized TH-cam channel, on their ships, that's literally fine. As B&D say, private property. But to 1) NOT communicate this policy in advance, 2) allow some folks to film for "commercial" purposes but not Ben & David, and 3) treat a paying passenger in such a way that they feel a need to hide in their cabin and leave the ship...MSC has completely embarrassed themselves. I am absolutely pissed off on B&D's behalf.
I also appreciate Ben and David saying "We're leaving because this is not a vacation, this is work, we are reviewing a product." I would have done the same thing! When you travel for work, "work trips" and "vacations" are two different things. And, if this workplace is not allowing you to continue working there, you're more than valid in picking your stuff up and working elsewhere. I do hope you two get a nice, TRUE vacation sometime in the future.
This type of content is JOURNALISM, it's not commercial. There is a big distinction in the law, at least in the US there is. Monetization does not convert it to a commercial purpose.
Do restaurants tell food reviewers not to write about them? Its rather mental that MSC have done this. Rather arrogant I would say.
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
I have a slight disagreement. Whether for work or pleasure, once you are declared persona non-grata by the crew, there is no way you can enjoy the rest of the cruise so leaving is the best thing for you sanity. It isn't just because they couldn't film anymore but the way they were treated by crew that made it impossible for them to remain on-board.
@@adamp2384it’s not the issue 🤦🏻♂️ if this rule was enforced to everyone , then fine…. But they were specifically targeted. This needs to be constant with ever passengers. Otherwise, it’s discrimination
Thank you for the honest review. Because of this, we will no longer consider cruising MSC. We do not stand for that crap!!
MSC made a huge mistake. You are the most respectful content creators. You produce the best videos and reviews. Shame on MSC!!! They will never see us on their cruise line!!
It is EU Law, unfortunately!
Thank you
@@patricktaubenheim5739 What EU law are you talking about? EU country's have their own laws on videoing and what you can publish on the internet, for instance I live in Spain and it is against the law to film any police officer at any time, it is also against the law to publish to the internet/social media any video that shows anybody that has not given their consent for you to do so, on TH-cam or anywhere else, you can record for your own personal use but not publish without consent of the people in the video. I know that people do post videos but it is still against the law.
@@patricktaubenheim5739 This ship may be private property, but it is flagged under Malta and comes under Maltes law.
@@paulthomas10 Malta is part of the EU and this ship operates in EU ports. It is not import if it is a private area.
Ben and David, we have loved your channel for years. You are real and honest and that is hard to come by. Additionally, you are respectful of other guests and the crew as well, which is also atypical. We appreciate you two and honestly, you should teach a Master Class every vlogger has to take about vlogging etiquette. MSC handled this wrong and we are so sorry this happened to you. We will continue to love and follow you and support your honesty. Thank you for being you.
I figured it out. MSC found out that your review was going to be positive and they didn't want to damage their low reputation.
😂😅🤣
😂😂😂
😂🤣
Ouch.
😂😂 you are so right!
You were being so positive! They just embarrassed the entire MSC Cruiseline. You guys are amazing. Love watching you both.
MSC certainly crapped in their own nest! I wouldn`t like to be the staff who have created this storm in a tea cup. ☕
Hi Ben and David, I’m a retired journalist and it is not uncommon for companies to only allow ‘media’ attention if they have the final yay or nay in publishing. MSC seem to give official permission when they hold the reins. Based on the excellent reviews you were doing I had decided that I would book a cruise with them however I’ve now decided against it. I think their treatment of you on board and the fact that MSC will not allow independent reviews is not very reassuring of a good trip. It’s rather sad really as their ships are very nice. Your honest reviews and terrific personalities are the reason I watch. Keep up the great work guys!❤
There’s clearly some nervousness on their part (MSC) which would make me want to cancel, too.
I'm sorry but here are a lot of independent MSC reviews... B and D are not the only independent youtubers...
@@Alainmath Which begs the question of why they were singled out.
Agree that there was an initial invitation for Ben and David to cruise on MSC....but management wanted to direct the narrative by Ben and David. They refused as they did not want coercion and to provide a unbiased and honest review. They have demonstrated their integrity and the shame is on MSC for such manipulative tactics. They should apologise for their disgusting behaviour to two credible and seasoned cruise commentators and sack their arrogant and oppressive management.
I am a retired director of a travel agency on the east coast of the US. under my tutelage this travel agency was the 8th largest on the east coast of the US. what I recall many of my agents saying to our clients is that MSC is hit or miss. So sorry this happened to you, but I'm very glad I discovered your Channel
MSC Just made a big mistake, I just cancelled my cruise with them next year. They may not notice right away but they will soon enough as your co youtuber's share your story.
Good for you!! Thanks for standing up for Ben and David. They are professional and of fine character. There is absolutely no question that MSC screwed up big time and I don’t see how they could possibly recover from this.
Ditto. We travelled with them in February this year and it was the worst cruise we have ever been on. I complained and got nowhere. We had also booked for Xmas this year and are cancelling it. Terrible cruise line.
Sounds like you’ve made the right choice. So many better companies to cruise with
Good for you! Hitting them in the pocketbook is the only way to make them change!!
I highly encourage everyone who has seen this to cancel, this was one of the most moronic things I have seen a cruiseline do.
I have only cruised with MSC once. Had a massive argument with the manager in charge of specialty dining. He accused me of treating him like a slave of all things. I swore I would never return to MSC. You nearly won me over with yacht club, then the rest happened, I realised they are exactly what I remember they are!! Great vid thanks guys
Exactly! My MSC experience was awful. Didn’t do the yacht club. The only really nice employee I encountered out of hundreds was the nice lady who gave me a massage in the spa. Still Facebook friends too!
This was the FIRST GOOD MSC review I’ve ever seen. Everyone else had mediocre to horrible things to say about MSC. You two were so positive, you actually CHANGED MY MIND. I was going to look into cruising with MSC. And then…
THIS HAPPENED.
MSC isn’t going to get my business. You don’t treat people like this.
Shame on MSC!
Exactly my thoughts
Same - after their first video on World Europa. I actually thought maybe I'd give it another try. That has changed now - never again.
I agree. This is the ONLY positive review I have seen about ths ship and I actually got a couple of tips for my upcoming (1st MSC cruise) trip in the Yacht club but now I will not book anymore MSC cruises. This treatment is very bad.
Same here. Just finished a P & O (Arvia) cruise after listening to Ben and David's reviews and enjoyed it immensely. Was seriously thinking of trying MSC just because of their favorable review this time, and now this!!
It’s like MSC went: “a positive review?!? Can’t have that!”
Thanks for all you both do!
Really enjoy all your amazing reviews, fantastic attitude, and the respect you have for each other. It is contagious! You should be proud!!!
Sorry you had a huge bump in your journey! So glad it looks like a good and fair resolution will come soon!
Have a dessert or tea on me
Be well and Happy Cruising!
Jc
JC
I'm so glad you guys left the ship right after this happened and didn't leave yourselves vulnerable to any more verbal abuse from MSC. Thank you for being honest with us and letting us know what happened. I'm absolutely furious you were mistreated like this; they had no right to do this. Scoundrels.
I hope MSC sees this! I, too, will never cruise with this line. And i will tell all my cruise companions to watch your videos before booking on MSC. They are fools for banning you from filming the truth.
same . RCL wouldn't behave like this....im now scared about going on my Disney cruise next year because of the service I might receive
@eliciaholland9870 I'm curious, how does their experience on MSC make you think your experience on Disney wouldn't be a good one? I've done 3 now, one with kids 2 without and on 3 different ships, all fantastic experiences. I hope you'll have an open mind and that you have a wonderful time!
I have been wondering as if MSC read this all of the comments or see theirs video all about it? And I also didn’t want to go to that MSC at all…..
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
This is absolutely unacceptable, this kind of treatment is just disgusting. If they have nothing to hide surely filming and reviews shouldn't be a problem. Shame on you MSC. Ben and David deserve a public apology. Take care.
A public apology on their youtube channel and a free replacement cruise or a full refund. Which ever they elect.
It is EU Law, unfortunately!
@@patricktaubenheim5739 What is EU Law?
@@patricktaubenheim5739source?
I applaud how you handled this. I also would debark if told i could not film. I get many videos out of a cruise and cannot waste that time. MSC Meraviglia is still the worst cruise we have ever taken, and it is like their ship is run by thugs. A woman swore to me on our cruise that she won nearly 5k on a slot machine and was very excited when casino staff approached her. Only to see them turn off the machine, claim it was malfunctioning and ask her to leave the casino. Hard to consider trying them again.
Almost 17,000 people have seen this video, in 1 hour. MSC, not very smart. Their reviews are below average on many sites. I won’t be taking MSC for any of my trips…EVER
On the way to 250,000 views!! MSC really screwed the pooch on this. Other cruising TH-cam reviewers have reported on this as well.
85,000 by midnight
100,000 now, uh oh lol
Their low reviews are likely the reason they are getting testy about filming.
Don’t fret. There’s millions of cruisers out there who will happily spend their money on overcrowded, over priced, cynical, nasty cruise ships because they are essentially dirt cheap (a scam) but dirt cheap nonetheless.
Their business plan is to keep you on a vessel where you cannot escape and have no choice but to spend any money with them. Wake up. They are the dirtiest of scams
There MSC video last week was fun and great!! And then this 😢
Crazy! MSC should send you an apology - no one should make you feel that way - Thank you for keeping it real.
They need to reimburse you for the cruise
Snooty TH-camrs should be treated always like that...
@@jamesthefirst8790They are NOT snotty they were saying GREAT things about their trip.
@@louiseanderson8248 They WERE not even talking to other guests or filming them I saw no other guests in the video
NOPE FOR MSC. I have been trying to figure out WHO TO CRUSE FIRST. WON'T BE MSC. Don't treat people like that. I know and trust Ben and David did nothing to warrant that treatment. SHAME ON YOU MSC.
In a similar position, we cruise regularly with Royal Caribbean but after Ben & David's last video, we were considering MSC for next summer. No longer.
IDK where you guys reside, but my favorite now is Virgin…only bad (good for me) is that it’s adults-only. Celebrity was my all time fave, but the cheapness of RCL has festered upstream.
@@alisona8318 same here
I took an MSC cruise in September. The only problem I had was with customer service. It was awful. Y'all are right, MSC isn't a problem until you have a problem.
NCL...#39 for me next Sunday!
Yesterday I began booking a cruise with my partner and father-in-law. This morning I saw your video and decided to choose a different cruise line. Thank you so much for posting this video.
You are missing out listening to 2 chronic complainers. I don't blame MSC, these 2 crybabies are well know in the cruise industry as 2 narcissist who look for trouble and find it. MSC is a privately owned company operating under EU law, they have every right to spot complainers looking to ruin their reputation and stop them, I hope MSC files a lawsuit against these 2 morons.
They just alienated 240,000 Ben and David raving fans. 😮 Ben & David are the reason I'll be cruising in the future.
Plus everyone those 240,000 followers tell
Thanks so much for your support. It’s such a shame, we really really hate putting videos out like this but we refuse to be silenced.
What are they afraid of? Have to hide? You guys are SO polite
..🙄 Their loss. In SO many ways.
@@Shello58I gave MSC a negative review on facebook and they blocked me. I think they have a lot to hide.
I hope you call corporate and let them know what an unpleasant experience you had when dealing with the management on this ship! I am sorry your experience was so bad. Mgmt way overreacted to you!
I respect you guys for putting your foot down, and for continuing your non-biased review. You handled this really well.
They really did!❤
It must have been tricky to put the emotions aside when giving the (totally fair) positive elements to their review after the incident. Great integrity by them.
@22NightWing EXACTLY! Shows their integrity once again. ALWAYS keeping it real!
Agreed
I just canceled my MSC reservation. Thanks for letting us know about how MSC acts with their passengers.
Sure you did...
All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
@@svenlem Exactly, some just want to add their own drama.
My husband is head of sales for a cruise booking company, We were just looking at booking with MSC yacht club planning our next cruise, after watching the first part of ur review was very excited, then saw the rest and decided to book with another line. Wouldn’t touch them now. You do such an amazing job with you channel giving fantastic unbiased reviews. How silly are MSC?
I would be terrified to be responsible for taking guests on take cruise line. I’ve on be on the line once and said never again.
Love that y’all still posted the positive parts about your experience and didn’t negate it. Speaks to the fact that you both share the WHOLE truth!
Amen! It shows the guys' integrity
I can't believe they'd have the audacity to personally invite you on a cruise with the knowledge of what you do, and yet when you pay for yourselves to go, they have an issue with what you do. To be honest, this makes me doubt all other cruise vlogs who give them good reviews. Ben and David, I admire your integrity and honesty. You can sleep easy knowing that you have acted with integrity!!! I will NEVER take a MSC cruise now. Their hypocrisy and need to buy/control good reviews is astounding and promotes a false product to the public - THANK YOU for showing us the hard truth!
I think exactly the same than you. Now, I’m doubting about all the other videos I’ve seen….
you said it they are two of the most Honest young men on TH-cam. Their Integrity cannot be bought.
@@olympia4282 I honestly would not doubt their experiences but rather add another layer to what others have been saying. Just like with many hotels and the like, experiences can vary drastically and a good experience does not necessarily invalidate a bad one and vice versa. Especially because the people who decided this might not have been on the cruise or known about other vloggers. I've been to places where some reviewers complained about terrible and rude service and experienced none of that. But I've also been to places which were reviewed with the highest praise and received awful service. It does not mean either of the other people lied but that our experiences were just dependent on different people and to some extend also different standards.
So I think everything can coexist. What happened was indeed very bad but it was the result of people acting in a certain manner. People who might not always be present to ruin it for other passengers by being incredibly rude. Because people can be very different, especially when it comes to enforcing "rules" and the like.
So I would take all sides into consideration. The good and the bad.
I honestly wouldn't have minded if MSC had such a policy because more and more people feel bothered by the constant vlogging and filming of others during a time that is considered a rare vacation but it should have been transparent and the staff should have been professional about it. Not to mention that it should be enforced equally. (Not saying that some things won't slip through because you can't supervise everyone, but it seems like they were the only ones affected.)
Naturally, there are always several sides but it's undeniable that the conduct was rude and that shouldn't ever happen even in stressful situations. There was no reason to come onto them that strongly to enforce a rule.
I'd just be aware that many places occasionally have bad staff experiences making questionable decisions without it all meaning the entirety of it being bad.
Experiences can vary greatly and I just want to say while this was a terrible experience that never should have happened to them, it doesn't automatically turn every good MSC review bad. It just adds another layer to all manner of experiences, both good and bad and at the end, every person needs to decide for themselves what is and isn't a dealbreaker to them. And even if 99% of reviews were positive, you could still belong to that 1% who had some bad experiences turning the whole trip bad.
Please don't forget that the internet just has made many things more accessible, including reviews that might have just been reduced to a few negative words on a review portal otherwise. There are not many places which can boast 100% customer satisfaction because opinions and experiences can differ so greatly. So hearing one horrific experiences might not deter someone if all others are good in return and appear like real accounts.
Their experience was not good and it's valid to share but at the same time it does not have to mean all of MSC is bad. At least not worse than many big businesses are. This review is valid but so are others if they are real and unsponsored expriences. It's okay for others to say that they won't book such a cruise but at the same time, it also doesn't mean anyone is evil if they do because they heard good things, too.
This is just to add some nuance because many people are quick to blame MSC as a whole and anyone giving them good reviews when in reality, their experience was just a lot better. In the best case, they were the victims of some awful people which are hard to avoid hiring completely because you can never know how people truly are. MSC would still need to compensate both of them properly. But in such a case, MSC would have very little to do with the behavior as a whole. In the worst case, MSC endorsed such behavior, but that will be hard to prove. Either way, I would not pin it on other creators and reviewers unless it somehow became clear their review was faked.
MSC owes you a public apology. I have booked a 7 day cruise out of Bari later this year, I will cancel, even though you gave a positive review, no cruise line should treat any guest like you were treated
Tell MSC why …..MSC embarrassed themselves. This is not the way to treat a human, let alone a paying guest who is being kind and low key
I have messaged MSC in response to this video and my reasoning for cancellation
@@andrewreidy18BRAVO!
@@andrewreidy18I would be very interested in the response you get from MSC regarding this
@@KatyNoel-d6lI believe we all need to post a response to MSC, I doubt they care if only a few but the more that comment may get their attention
So my red, white, and blue American blood really got me in this video... what the crap? I am SO sorry you guys went through that, that's so scary - think if this was a resort hotel censoring you? It's obvious, they were threatened that you're honest and maybe there was homophobia mixed in...? REGARDLESS I loved your review, the ship looked great.
I love your videos because YOU DON'T sugar coat, you don't take sponsors and if you do you always stipulate you're allowed your honest opinions, and your genuine reactions and impressions are why I watch you. YOU DO NOT SENSATIONALIZE so I respect y'all even more after this and send you love from across the pond
Bad form MLC! We are canceling our July cruise as a result. Dumb corporate strikes again. We stand behind Ben and David!
Do you plan to tell them _why_ you're canceling? If enough people do that, maybe a 25 watt light bulb will go off for them and they'll realize that treating paying customers like garbage - customers who give them free PR - is a really bad idea.
Impressed! Cancelling shows MSC that you cannot ‘bully’ people! Well done!🌟🌟🌟
Yeah, you're cancelling your July cruise, and loose all that money I call that BS
@@andy70d35total payment is due by May. Already used those funds to book an Alaskan cruise on Celebrity.
@@andy70d35 we don’t know that they’re going to lose their money. July is four months away and depending on the cruise lines, cancellation policy, they can get their money back or a big percentage of it.
MSC will soon regret what they did. I am sure they will have someone take a look at this video and all the comments. They could have handled this much differently. You were giving them such a great review. They really blew it.
We went on an MSC cruise after seeing an “influencer” who had had a free trip and raved about it. We hated it and had terrible food, terrible customer service and then we discovered you and wish we had “met” you first! I’m so sorry you guys were treated so badly - it’s not acceptable or fair! Keep doing you because you guys are great and your reviews are so helpful
Yes, literally if you are not in the area Ben and David were in it's actually terrible. I was on a short one a while back with a lot of people from the industry and it was terrible.
I am really glad that MSC reached out to you both. I was in tears witnessing how you were being treated. It was heartbreaking. I really admire you for keeping your cool. Your honesty about your cruises are one of the many reasons we watch you. Thank you for being amazing!
Tears? Really😢? Drama queen
My heart broke for Ben who looked like he was taking this really hard. However, I will try the “Yacht Clurb” because of our boys’ honest and glowing review.
Oh my gosh.....I am so happy I saw this video today! My husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this fall and have decided to treat our 4 married children and 7 grandkids to an MSC cruise. This is 17 people in several cabins for tens of thousands of dollars that MSC will not be getting! I am taking a stand with you to vote with my dollars. There are plenty of other cruise lines and itineraries we can choose from. I am working on it right now. Shame on you MSC! How stupid of you to have treated paying customers this way. David and Ben have a hugely loyal following. I don't think you have a clue about the amount of money this one move will cost your company. Customer service is THE most important thing and the power of the internet has eluded you! Thank you Ben and David for what you do! You are the Best vloggers in the cruise world! Bravo!
Now That's the way to respond! Congrats.
🎉 power to vote with dollars! 💸 someone coin that on a shirt 👕
@@JohnRawlins21 What is so hard to understand? They were singled out, when there are plenty of other TH-camrs filming on their ships, and they weren't asked not to film, they were TOLD not to film. They were told they couldn't even take personal photos of each other - the person they're MARRIED to. How would you like it if you were rudely told you couldn't even take a photo of your spouse/partner?
Other people here understand how stupidly rude this is, and are voting with their wallets to not reward this company for being rude and biased toward two specific paying passengers.
I adore your channel because it’s so honest ..ignore the haters,if possible..🇨🇦
@@JohnRawlins21since you like to be pedantic, why aren’t you verifying that MSC are asking ALL passengers if they are TH-camrs? If it is their policy, then surely they must verify anyone who is filming is not doing so for commercial purposes.
We just cancelled our cruise with MSC for next year. After watching this we do not want to support this company. Such appalling behaviour. Most of our travelling is done because we watch you guys for honest opinions and tid bits of how to travel. Keep up the good work guys. ❤
They owe you a formal apology. Will never cruise with them.
I keep almost booking an MSC cruise because it’s. So. Cheap…. And then I read the reviews / see videos like this. “Everything’s great until something goes wrong”. No thanks. Thanks for putting this together boys! ❤
My TA asked me today if I was canceling due to the Ben & David Vlog, I guess a few people have been canceling
Lol.....really! Did they say how many people had cancelled?
@@Alethea1985 No they did not say but must be a few if they feel the need to ask
What is a TA?
@@GenaF Travel Agent 🤗
@@shaynetaylor8555 thanks 👍🏼
MSC should give you a full refund and a public apology
I said the same thing. If they don't apologize and offer them a free cruise with VIP tours of the ship and treatment, they're not going to do well in this day and age. I'm a travel advisor, and after seeing this, I don't want to sell MSC.
Absolutely agree!
Troll
@@JohnRawlins21As if those two arbitrary reasons are the only reasons anyone has ever been issued a refund for a cruise lol
@@angelinatana that is why I wanted to go, but you have missed the point. If this is how MSC treats its customers, I will be doing my clients the best service by advising them to cruise with a different line. Why on Earth would I want my clients to experience something like this?
MSC treated you poorly. Period.
?? 😊
You guys are such a CLASS ACT. My husband and I love watching your high-quality videos. You have helped us many times make decisions on our cruises, and with packing and other itinerary options. We've especially loved the latest series which was making us excited to try MSC again - and even possibly splurge for the Yaught Club upgrade .... We've cruised with them twice and had overall very positive experiences. [We never had interaction with management] Ironically, we actually chose to cruise on MSC Maraviglia in January 2020 because of your balanced previous ship review - even though you were very open with the negatives - we simply went in with proper expectations because the value for the price was what we needed at the time if we wanted to take a cruise. It is incredibly sad the cruise management treated you so abusively! Absolutely Baffling and short-sighted. I heard a rumor that there may have been a recent development you will be sharing with us. Looking forward to your next video.
The MSC corporate office should watch this video and find out which onboard managers made this decision and presented it so rudely. You are two polite gentlemen, and because you have 241,000 subscribers, they're going to get some bad PR. There's no doubt that some potential cruisers will choose another line this year because of this video.
Oh we will be sending this to them!
It really is a shame because MSC had such a good opportunity here to use Ben and David’s influence for good and to turn the stories they’ve presented in the past around. Instead, some manager really blew it.
Unfortunately, how a manager acts is usually a result of company culture, so I doubt corporate would disagree with what happened.
For Shame MSC!! Will NEVER sail with you!
Makes me think those managers have pressure from higher ups and possibly are not treated fairly either.
@@Cruisewith please share any response they give (censored for sensitive content of course) - it'll be intriguing whether head office will be on your side or double down on their terrible take (or fake the former but actually be the latter)
As a cruise agent, this is very concerning for any client looking to book a cruise with MSC. I worry they will run into the same issues with filming and will definitely warn my clients that there is a possibility this type of treatment is possible. They can decide for themselves if this cruisline is for them. Ben and Dave should not have been targeted and treated with such disregard.
The TA we use had flat out told us last year when we were researching cruises out of the NY/NJ area that she does not book MSC because they are not TA friendly. That gave us concern…we chose Celebrity instead and now watching this…👎🏻. I hope they realize how shady they are, and apologize to both of you and ask you to reconsider cruising with them again and then you can turn around and say😒 NO THANK YOU!!! Keep up the good work! ❤
I totally agree with this. I guess their ultimate plan is to ban all cameras, in whatever form they come in. Censorship is never acceptable!!!
It’s amazing how incompetent some managers can be. I have so many bad reviews about MSC that I would never jump on one of their tubs. Your review just confirmed my views
I appreciate how you still shared the good parts, even after how they treated you. Unshakeable integrity!
John: they WERE Censored. Go away. You sound like an MSC employee!!!
@@JohnRawlins21Love that you ignored another comment on this video you were previously responding to that provided you with an accurate definition of censorship (which would include the situation B&D find themselves in) just so you can type up other comments that prove you both have no idea how censorship works and have absolutely no interest in learning lmao
I'm just catching up on a few of your video reviews now, but I wanted to say that I'm so sorry this happened to you, and you are totally justified in leaving. Companies who don't want genuine feedback are only looking to make sudden profits but not have repeat, satisfied customers. Hugs from Canada!!
MSC just lost a potential customer.
I will NEVER book with them.
Same
Looks like MSC just lost 1000’s of customers and it’s their own fault.
It is EU Law, unfortunately!
@@patricktaubenheim5739why are you spamming everyone's comments with this? At least explain what you're referencing.
@@patricktaubenheim5739 what is EU law? Rudeness, disrespect, mistreatment of paying passengers?
I've asked for MSC to comment on twitter, see what they have to say.
How rude of them!
❤️
Please let us know if they respond!
Please do
Oh hell yeah, link that here so we can all ask them WTF!
I work retail and there has been one thing my manager has taught me when it comes to customer service. We can not control our company's policies or pricing but what we can control is how we act when dealing with a customer who is upset. I was taught the HEART method when working at a pervious job and it is all about hearing a customer out, empathizing, apologizing, reacting as in try to come up with some kind of resolution, and finally thanking them which most of the time is for their patience. Customer service is everything when it comes to a business, if it sucks the customer will drive an hour to a 2nd location if they are treated better.
@ctoyota88 You said it! It costs nothing to be polite and to listen.
I work retail and I completely agree with you. 100%
I have also worked in retail for the last 18 years and 100% agree
I totally agree to worked in retail,customer service too for quite a few years
Ben and David, I absolutely love your content. You are so thorough, professional, and fun. I am so sorry this happened to you, but I am glad they made it right in the end. It is even better that they will learn from it and it is great that they are partnering with you. You deserve all the respect for how you conduct yourselves as content creators. Thank you for carrying on despite the setbacks. I look forward to your future videos.
The best part of this is, I'm sitting here watching with my wife, and for the first half I'm telling her "We've got to try this Yacht Club thing." Then we get to the part where Ben is dealing with the MSC coward not wanting to risk a bad review. I am officially boycotting MSC. I will never sail on them. There are just too many options out there. You two have helped us so much with all things cruising, and there is no way I'm betraying you for those corporate jerks. This isn't an empty boycott either, as we live an hours drive to the Port Canaveral cruise port, and were seriously considering MSC. There's a few thousand dollars that they will not get. Very sorry you had to go through this but it did help us decide where our vacation money was going.
Same. We sail NCL’s Haven and were considering trying MSC Yacht club next year. Now it’s a hard no!!
Was just saying the same at the beginning of the video "maybe we should give MSC Yaught Club a try" then came the rude and bizarre behaviour so NOPE.
Same! We always cruise in the suite level and after seeing this, won’t be adding MSC to our future cruises!!
me too!
Often thought about booking Msc it's a defiantly a no from Me after hearing this. Sorry to hear how you were treated
You are very honest in your rivews good or bad. Very short sighted on MSC part
Fight the good fight! We stand with you guys and value your opinion!
Thank you so much!
After the first half of the video I was so impressed with MSC I was checking availabilty to book a cruise for my extended family, but after their treatment of you two, I'm scratching MSC off my list. Discussing their filming concerns with you is one thing. Being aggressive and rude is quite another. Bon voyage, MSC.
@@JohnRawlins21 you're missing the point. Manners matter.
I have no reason to film on a cruise, but this makes you wonder how staff would treat you if something else happened. It's fine they asked not to film but no reason to turn on B and D when they left being rude
Absolutely. My thoughts exactly
@@KB-tu4os Rawlins seems to be up in everyone’s comments defending MSC or nitpicking comments on pedantry. Probably works for MSC.
This guy has been going around on other comments saying that people defending B& D have confusing statements and that B&D are in the wrong etc ignore them. Trhey're looking for a fight and obviously love MSC and are hurt about the honest review B &D gave@@KB-tu4os
MSC should be ashamed for the treatment you rec'd. Love watching your youtube, I think you both are very funny and I really enjoy watching. Keep up the good work.
The issue for me isn't that they stopped you filming, the issue is the way they did it. They could have done it respectfully and professionally instead of aggressively. I'll never cruise with them because the idea of doing something they think is wrong and them getting aggressive with me is not something I'm going to risk.
Yes. As Ben and David said they understand private property and general concern for all passengers, ect but this wasn't handled appropriately (nor during the last similar circumstances).
They were clearly singled out, there are inconsistencies in MSC policy and it seems management feels as tho they have a green light to be aggressive and rude. Red flags all around.
The issue isn't only their being aggressive. It's that Ben and David were singled out for this treatment. That suggests a rather nasty agenda on the cruise line's part.
I have to wonder why they would think professional vloggers would agree to a free cruise, only to be told what to say, presumably for the purpose of saying, "See, we've changed, we're nice now!" and then proving the total opposite.
, except this wasnt a free cruise. They paid for it themselves.
@@lindastradley9788 you misunderstood their comment. They are wondering (separately) about how others who are given a free cruise would report on their experience. Clearly MSC offers free cruises to other TH-camrs/vloggers/influences. Bottom line, can't trust someone who accepts a free cruise (that comes with control over content). This is not the case with B&D.
All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
Oh dear MSC just shot themselves in the foot! How ridiculous. I am sorry you were treated this way, but also grateful that you stick to your principles and produce non biased reviews which enable us to make informed decisions for ourselves. Onwards and upwards guys xx
@@angelinatana All these anonymous posters are MSC or a 3rd party trying to damage control by MSC. Shady shit from MCS for sure. They just making it worse by trying to gas light us.
This is shocking from MSC. You should not have been treated so poorly. I appreciate the videos on your channel. What a public relations misstep from MSC.
My wife and I cruise a good bit, and we always hope to run into y'all. We've been watching for a while now, and ever since the first issue with MSC we've stayed away from them. We've also seen other TH-cam videos with bad experiences. After this, we are definitely staying away. Keep up the great work, we love watching your videos!
And just like that, 1.5 million Americans will never try an MSC cruise…. Ben and David are the ambassadors of European Cruising.
For sure. Americans value freedom of speech.
Btw, 31 million Americans cruise each year.
I agree!
@@EricHanmer ....don't kid yourself. Ben and David are very popular everywhere.
They do.@@EricHanmer
Well MSC "Big Mistake. Big. Huge" This isn't just going viral on your page, but other cruise vloggers pages. What a huge marketing fiasco. A positive review that turned into a viral nightmare.
Haha hubby and I referenced this when we were watching- it’s hilarious finding it in the comments
Love the reference. Lol
MSC should be ashamed! My family and I Will NEVER cruise with them EVER!
Me neither.
Same!
@@JohnRawlins21 Usually cruise companies want the free advertising and feedback and treat cruise TH-camrs better than regular guests if anything. If they're treating Ben and David this badly think about how they'll treat regular guests.
@@JohnRawlins21is trolling the comments and leaving negative responses to everyone. Ignore him.
@@GenericaQwerty probably works for MSC 😂
I love you guys. Your sense of fairness is exemplary. Up until the time you were asked to stop filming, your reviews were changing my opinion of MSC. I thought the Yacht Club might be worth trying. Not now. MSC sealed their fate with me (not that they care, apparently). On to something positive...my favorite Benism in this review was, "well, paint me gold and call me an Oscar!" LOL!!!
You guys have integrity, thanks for your honest reviews. Shame on MSC
Skip to 34:30 if looking for where all the trouble starts.
Sorry guys. MSC’s behavior is inexcusable. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
it starts way erlier, I suspect the guy on 32:21 thought they filmed him doing something he shouldn´t ? EDIT: if you look back at the film you can see how he almost seems to make sure he IS IN the picture🤔.
@@hypnotherapy69 I didn't catch that at first, went back and you're 100% correct. The way he keeps looking over. Granted, I've seen that on my cruises as well, if I'm walking about with my camera (I don't vlog, just personal videos), I've had a lot of crew try to make eye contact and if I smiled at them, I'd get a cheesy smile back, thumbs up, that sort of thing. I love that to be honest. But the way he keeps positioning himself and then they get treated like absolute garbage? I don't think THAT's a coincidence.
@@hypnotherapy69 I saw that too and have a separate comment on it. That guy is purposely looking at Ben & David, and I can just see him running back to tell his boss.
@@hypnotherapy69 the guy clearing/setting tables in the restaurant? I saw him look at the camera, but how bizarre if he’s the one that got upset to see a guest filming. Bartenders were smiling and waving at the camera in other shots.
That's a big NOPE to MSC from our family! You offer an honest respectful opinion every time. They will never get our cruising time or money!
Thank you for you're honest review. We recently travelled on the MSC Eurbia where my grandson was abused both mentally and physically by a foreign couple which was caught on security camera, we where told to complain when we got home to no avail their security video went missing, we weren't the only people that were subject to this couple on that cruise. This couple had a go at another child. MSC were not bothered they could on not cared less. We complained to Guest services they weren't bothered neither were the company we booked the cruise through.
You guys are great & MSC is a terrible cruise line. We cruised on the Meraviglia in 2023 & we were spoken to so rudely & harshly by the maitre d when requesting a table for 2 instead of comutal dining we wanted to just leave the ship. Other passengers who heard the the way we were spoken to were appalled at the treatment. In the follow up questionnaire sent to us by MSC we addressed the issue but never received a response from MSC. Thank you for exposing them!
Ya we also experience rude bartenders on the pool deck about 70% of the time. I will never cruise on MSC again. Their breakfast food is probably catered by McDonals. The pancakes I ordered in the restaurant were like rubber and cold. Eggs were also bad but bread the bread was pretty good.
MSC owes you guys an apology big time. We will never cruise with them.
Amen 🙏 yes. indeed. MSC. Shameful. The ppl that harassed you both should be dismissed. Sorry Ben and David. You both DID NOT deserve this 😢
@@JohnRawlins21Yes, they do.
The cruise ship only needed to go so far as to communicate with B&D that they needed to stop filming, if that is indeed a policy they have for everyone. That's it. They didn't need to treat them with any more suspicion or aggressiveness than anyone else who was also there and filming or taking pictures, and they didn't need to hover around them afterwards.
Everything aside from simply telling them to stop filming (which they immediately complied with) was over and beyond what they "needed" to do to accomplish what they wanted, and beyond rude by any sane persons standards. I would expect an apology if I was treated that way, and I expect any other self respecting person would, as well.
I am absolutely APPALLED what they did to you!! There's no way I will EVER step foot on any MSC cruise. I feel really bad for both of you! Don't let this get you down, I'll always look forward to watching your videos. Great job guys!!
You guys are a class act. Respectful, mature and giving such honest and open review, despite MSC being such a bunch of amateur children!
As I was sitting and watching this video I was searching MSC yacht club cabins looking to book. Then the shoe dropped and I got to the part where y’all were told to stop filming. Instantly I left the website. I’ve had my fill of censoring over the past several years and will not give my money willingly to a company that would do this. Thank you for honestly reviewing this ship such that you were able. You were both very gracious to MSC-much more than I would have been.
My fiance was also finally looking at booking World America, and a Yacht Club Suite, no less. We were fairly sold. And I've been trying to talk him into doing the inaugural to no avail. Finally started to talk him into it, so I can sell MSC (I'm a Travel Advisor)...and then THAT happened. Now he's back to wanting to do Norwegian Aqua's inaugural instead. I was so close. But now I don't wanna cruise MSC either. We also film for marketing purposes. 🤦🏻♀️
Same literally pricing different sailings until that video turned!!!
Me too! Clicked off of the site once I heard the rest of the video. Never mind @@christinabaeta9680
I've watched other travel bloggers having issues with MSC. This situation was shortsighted of the customer service agents. More than the accommodations, food and attractions, how customers are treated is the epitome of a company's reputation. This is poor planning by MSC, and just adds up to another reason not to use their products. I'm looking forward to see if MSC reaches out and offers an apology to Ben and David. I hope the MSC's management will make some sort of effort to rectify MSC's bad treatment. It doesn't matter if Ben and David have a TH-cam channel, one point of cruising is to video/film your activities. If MSC starts censoring guests randomly, they can expect less bookings. Sorry guys, hope this was a one time only situation and you never have to deal with this sort of poor treatment in the future. Love watching your youtube channel, your straight up reporting of services is appreciated.
Unbelievable! Will never travel with a company that is so ashamed of their product that they remove reviewers ability to share opinions . Thanks Ben and David for your honest description of events.