Children disappointed by inefficient staff member

<p>I am completly dis-heartened and disappointed by the service received by MSC. I have since tried to solve this in-house and non of the managers were prepared to take my calls. I have sent through emails and to date nobody has responded within their stipulated time. I have chatted to three consultants who refused to allow me to gain access to management. Of which all three have advised that they cannot do anything to assist me and that I was to blame. </p> <p> </p> <p>This is my story...</p> <p>We arrived to board MSC crusises at the Durban Port early with one and half hours to spare. It was our first cruise and my kids first experience abroad. We had booked and saved up and piad installments from a year agp so my gilrs were truly patient but overwhelmed with excitement and in anticipation. As we booked in advnace we decided to book one of the better cabins and give them the best experience.</p> <p> </p> <p>At the port, we had our tickets issued, we then went to front desk and was told that the kids birth certificates needed to be printed and that the copies cannot be on the phone. They cannot approve until printed. I was not told that I needed to print originals, certified was okay. If at this stage I was told bring originals, i had ample time to pick them up and return. Okay, my error but they gladly printed the birth documents which we are appreciated.</p> <p>At the check-in the second time, the staff member advised that passorts and birth certificates need to be checked here. I provided her with the documents. she took two minutes to read everything, she then took outr her big green stamp and okayed it. I have copies attached. My children's unabridged birth certificates were approved at this stage. With enough time to spare, we relaxed at the gate and then tool our time to follow the queues patiently until we reached home affairs who gladly stamped all of of our hands as attached, until she looked at my eldest daughter copy and advised, my love, there is an error here, we have two copies of your youngest but none of your eldest. At this times, our comfortable 1 hour 30 minutes headstart had passed and we only had five minutes to reprint copies. The front desk was closed. The home affairs staff was so accomodating, she waited and asked us to try all avenues but sadly MSC staff asked us to leave that area as they closing at that stage. My husband returned to the lady at the check-in counter and asked her why did she okay this when clearly we had had misjudged and handed duplicates. She apologized and said it was her error. SO whats the problem, yes I should have known better. When you rush home from a working day to board a cruise you never boarded before, you depend on trained staff to advise you accordingly. If you at an airport they tell you at check-in, what is missing which gives you enough time prior boarding time to make right, if you get to boarding and they then ask you for your identity, it does not make sense to panic as you comfortably checked in with time to spare. If you decide to board at the last minute of boarding time, it is your choice as you assumed all was in order at the main point of verification. </p> <p> </p> <p>NOW MSC claims staff claim that it is not thrir duty to look at birth certificates, home affairs approves this, so you would allow families to walk a km in distance through baggage check-in to tell them a document is missing. I doubt that. The lady at check in needs to verify all documents are present. Home affairs checks if it is on order or meets their standards. WHY OKAY our entry and allow us calming time when a document is missing. let us know immediatly so we can do everything possible to have it in time, N It is simple if we were not approved, we could have brought any missing document as we we live in durban and had ample time. IF we are approved what is the need for us to rush and recheck or run around and print or go home for originals. We were stamped and okayed. How can something practiced regularly by your check-in staff be misjudged in this way? We were one minute too late to verify the home affairs issue but we had one and half hours since verification. </p> <p> </p> <p>I do not require a refund. I just need you to help me make it up to two howling kids at a port who completly understand why they could not board. They listened to a staff member apologizing for her error but it still did not allow them acces to board. Please before this becomes a legal issue. Help us make it right for the very last time. My kids have a week of holiday left. Please can they be put onto the next departing cruise. </p> <p> </p> <p>Please can you accommodate my precious family. It's so heart-breaking as a mother to see your children cry profoundly and cry themselves to sleep. They wake up on day two and describe the activities they could have been doing. </p> <p> </p> <p>My booking number is ********** 0.</p> <p>I anxiously await your feedback,<br /><br /></p>