ryfiphone

I find these threads just fascinating. I hate to break it to some pp here but Carnival is a business and its primary goal in life is to earn profits for its shareholders. It does this by providing a SERVICE to its customers and charging for that service in excess of the cost to provide that service. Of course they want to provide good service to their customers so that they are happy with the cruising experience and will return as future customers. Hopefully happy customers will also tell their friends and family and the company will get even more future customers – and more future profits.

 

Now of course Carnival is not responsible for bad weather (they tell you as much in those contracts that we sign – mostly without review by our lawyers!). But they have chosen to provide their service at a time and place where there are lots of hurricanes. Why? Because they have found it is profitable to do so. People want to cruise at this time of year and chances (and extra costs) of a hurricane are not significant to Carnival.

 

 

The consensus opinion seems be that Carnival should refund unused days, gratuities, port fees and that’s it. Anything extra the company is not responsible for and customers are not entitled to and should not expect. Hey if airlines don’t offer extra compensation for bad weather why should a cruise line. It’s not because they are bad people in anyway but Airlines don’t have offer extra compensation because there are few substitutes available to their customers. If you experience delays or a rough flight what are your options next time? Another Airline – same problems. For most people driving or taking the train is not a realistic option so there’s no real substitute for flying. But if you experience a bad cruise due to weather what are your choices for your next vacation. Another cruise line is one option. Or, and I know it is heresy to say this, but people could actually go to a land based resort. You know the ones that don’t bob up and down and don’t cause sea sickness.

So Carnival might not be technically, or legally responsible to provide any compensation over and above the basics but competition, the availability of substitute services, and the desire to retain customers makes it in Carnival’s best interest (and their shareholders best interest) to offer something to increase the chances that their weather beaten customers return with more cash!!

Now that Carnival has made the business decision to offer extra compensation in the form of a future cruise discount they need to be perceived as treating the affected customers equally (within reason of course). In the age of instant communication (darn you Al Gore and your internet!) this can be difficult. There might be some solid business reasons for the different discounts offered on future cruises but it certainly appears to be a big difference between offering a 20% discount (nice) and a 50% discount (great). As someone said early, perception is reality and if some people perceive that others are getting a better offer from Carnival that can be a problem. Maybe it’s time for the company’s marketing department to step in and convince people that nice is the same as great.

Well said. Thank you!

You are the one that does not get it. Buying lottery tickets is completely different.

 

You are saying that it was a financial decision with nothing to back it up except that you seem to think you are a genius.

 

It makes 0 sense that these people were all in the same situation and all given something different. The only difference is the # of days except according to you obviously those people on the Pride & Miracle paid more so they got more. With no knowledge whatsoever of the cost of any of these cruises and the rate at which the fares changed.

It makes 100% sense if there is financial justification, and since neither of us has evidence either way I am simply stating that it makes more sense that they DO have financial justification rather than just tossing around credits without thinking through the repercussions.

So one day = 30%?

 

What about the 5 day cruises in Florida that received 25% ?

 

Again there is no logic to this.

 

People were given different amounts depending on the ship you were on.

Exactly. I am amazed you still don't get it. It doesn't matter if all three ships sailed side by side the entire cruise and docked at the same times. There are financial reasons why Carnival made the decisions they made whether you choose to recognize it or not. You claim to believe that Carnival doesn't owe you anything, yet you complain about unfairness. Say three people pay $1 for a scratch off lottery ticket, 1 wins $50 and two win $20 do you think those that won $20 should call the lottery commission to complain? Chock it up to luck if that sits better with you. You chose the wrong ship to win the big entitlement prize.

Obviously not but again you are missing the point.

 

Carnival Miracle from New York to Port Canaveral, Nassau, Freeport

Carnival Pride from Baltimore to Port Canaveral, Nassau, Freeport

Carnival Glory from Norfolk to Nassau (11:30 am Wed - 10 pm Thursday), Freeport

 

All 3 ships only made one stop and ours was shortened from 2 days to 7 hours.

 

The Glory & Miracle were brought home a day early, the Pride was brought home the night before but were given the option to stay on board until morning. I am unsure if the Miracle was given this option.

 

There are ships out of Florida that also only received 20% off and went through the same experience.

 

So you see, our point is

 

same week

same storm

same circumstances

different solutions

 

Another situation that has come up is that both the following sailings on the Glory & Pride were cancelled.

 

People on the Glory are receiving a full refund, people scheduled to be on the Pride are being given a full refund as well as 25% off a future cruise.

Although the Pride may be given that because some passengers were actually able to board the ship and then were made to debark as opposed to fully cancel the cruise the day before like the Glory.

I understand your frustration but I think you are missing my point. This was not Carnival fault, and they still have a business to run. They probably had higher profit margins based on cruise fare prices on the ships that were offered the higher percentage off a future sailing. It stands to reason of those people paid on average more per cabin than you, then they are receiving a higher amount back. It would take an in depth analysis to determine "fairness" in this case, and while I understand that the storm probably put a heavy damper on your vacation you will only stress yourself out more worrying and arguing over a discount that was given in good grace, and to be brutally honest you were not entitled to.

No.. everyone on our cruise received 20% off, the Pride and the Miracle received 50% off regardless of if you booked a suite or interior room.

Before I am asked "well how do you know the entire cruise got the same discount?" Feel free to check our roll call, also the letter that was left in all of our cabins was blown up to poster size and put in the area by the atrium elevators on deck 5.

 

Again, no one seems to be grasping that this is no about being entitled to a discount. It is that the ships were in the same storm and were given different things.

These three ships left from the same port, same itinerary, same amenities, and had the same cabin rates?

The epic battle of entitlement. Joy! Carnival kept everyone safe through a natural disaster. They probably gave some people 20% and others 50% because of the rate you paid for your cruise. If you sailed on a budget sailing where the interiors are going for a few hundred bucks you probably got 20% and those that were six hundred plus probably got 50%. Either way they compensated you for something outside of their control so kudos to Carnival.