Splendor Spa Stateroom Scam

[Cabana Girl]

Just came off the Splendor (our 14th Carnival cruise), booked into an assigned 8P Spa Balcony Stateroom months ago.

 

We boarded early and decided to head for the spa to get a preview of the special new spa facilities. We were really excited! Something new and relaxing for the week. The spa desk had a master list of spa staterooms which tells them whether or not to issue the 'keys' to the spa area. We were told that we were not authorized spa privileges. They told us that every week this happens to passengers because the Carnival booking agents….who work with all of our travel agents to assign rooms….make the wrong notation in the booking comments. So off we headed to the purser's desk to fix the problem. Minor hiccup...right?

 

Wrong. Without gathering any additional information, the Purser's desk immediately informed me that I was "trying to get services that I did not pay for." After phone calls with our TA & Carnival, nothing was fixed and we spent a week in the spa stateroom area with no spa access.

 

Very disappointing. We were denied access to the spa area because Carnival claimed we were on a 'complimentary upgrade.' Unless we wanted to pay the $249 for the week….and there are a limited number of these memberships that they sell. (We experienced the hard sell during the tour…only 40 spaces left, you should buy it now….)

 

We booked a specific stateroom months ago. Our Carnival documents and invoice clearly stated our stateroom number; we cannot fathom how this can be considered a 'Complimentary Upgrade.'

 

I suspect that along with ruining our vacation plans, Carnival made an extra $249 by selling our spa benefits to other passengers. We will be following up on this with our TA and Carnival Customer Care, but our vacation is over and we won't give Carnival another dollar.

 

Has anyone else had this experience? And....who gets complimentary upgrades from Carnival months in advance?

Farewell Carnival.

[cigal]

We booked a specific stateroom months ago. Our Carnival documents and invoice clearly stated our stateroom number; we cannot fathom how this can be considered a 'Complimentary Upgrade.'

 

Cabana Girl,

 

What was the cabin number you booked months ago?

What cabin number was shown on your original (deposit) invoice?

What cabin number was shown on your most recent invoice?

What cabin number was shown on your documents?

 

Something is very odd here - just trying to figure out the timeline so it makes sense to me.:)

[CthyC]

Just came off the Splendor (our 14th Carnival cruise), booked into an assigned 8P Spa Balcony Stateroom months ago.

 

We boarded early and decided to head for the spa to get a preview of the special new spa facilities. We were really excited! Something new and relaxing for the week. The spa desk had a master list of spa staterooms which tells them whether or not to issue the 'keys' to the spa area. We were told that we were not authorized spa privileges. They told us that every week this happens to passengers because the Carnival booking agents….who work with all of our travel agents to assign rooms….make the wrong notation in the booking comments. So off we headed to the purser's desk to fix the problem. Minor hiccup...right?

 

Wrong. Without gathering any additional information, the Purser's desk immediately informed me that I was "trying to get services that I did not pay for." After phone calls with our TA & Carnival, nothing was fixed and we spent a week in the spa stateroom area with no spa access.

 

Very disappointing. We were denied access to the spa area because Carnival claimed we were on a 'complimentary upgrade.' Unless we wanted to pay the $249 for the week….and there are a limited number of these memberships that they sell. (We experienced the hard sell during the tour…only 40 spaces left, you should buy it now….)

 

We booked a specific stateroom months ago. Our Carnival documents and invoice clearly stated our stateroom number; we cannot fathom how this can be considered a 'Complimentary Upgrade.'

 

I suspect that along with ruining our vacation plans, Carnival made an extra $249 by selling our spa benefits to other passengers. We will be following up on this with our TA and Carnival Customer Care, but our vacation is over and we won't give Carnival another dollar.

 

Has anyone else had this experience? And....who gets complimentary upgrades from Carnival months in advance?

Farewell Carnival.

 

Wow...this is a huge concern. I just upgraded to a spa cabin. I did pay the difference from my original booking to upgrade to the spa category. To play it safe...I will bring my original docs and the new docs i just printed with the price adjustment. Thank you for the warning.

[arizonacruzr]

Boy, I'm so sorry this happened to you. Please let us know if you get a resolution from Carnival on this one.

My MIL is booked with your same situation. Booked 8P months ago under early saver with the understanding that she has full spa access, and have gotten her some OBC since final pmt. This should not affect her spa privileges, but I will place a call to my PVP tomorrow. Thank you for the post.

[DGP1111]

There have been numerous reports of Carnival Splendor having reoccuring "Ooops" moments (clearly on the part of onboard crew) regarding Spa deck and the accompanying wrist bands issued.

One of the first I remember hearing about (due to it being another Cruise Critic member) was on a sailing last November when their family was upgraded from a Spa inside cabin to a Spa balcony. The original cabin assignment would have granted them the wrist bands, and it took unnecessary vacation time to eventually convince the onboard crew of its error.

Hopefully those on Carnival Dream will have a stronger grip on the situation.

[firefly333]

I just dont understand why they didnt fix the problem. If Carnival supported you, then this should have been fixed. Carnival just doesnt seem to be getting some things right, that are important to people.

 

Im really sorry. I know you must have really looked forward to something new the way I do. I know they cant fix it on your last cruise ... they owe you.

[Essiesmom]

When you booked, was it a special where you booked one category with automatic upgrade to another? If so, people upgraded in that manner are not eligible for the spa facilities unless they pay for the, EM

[Lady_Jag]

Wow, I'm sorry that happened to you. I am very concerened about the same thing happening on my Dream cruise in May. We booked a Spa OV and my mom is in a Spa IS. I'm DEFINITELY going to print our original documents to take with us.

 

And, since part of the spa cabin "service" is to get a call from Carnival BEFORE we cruise to arrange for the spa tour and special discounts on spa services, I'm going to make sure that I call THEM if I haven't heard anything within a month of our cruise.

 

You know, I think a simple solution to Carnival's "oops" problem as far as spa access goes, is to provide spa services to ALL the spa cabin occupants. So WHAT if a couple of people didn't PAY for a spa cabin and just got upgraded? How often are they upgrading people to spa cabins anyway? :rolleyes: You'd think satisfied customers would be worth more than the $240 they MIGHT have made from the upgraded folks.

[CthyC]

I just called Carnival and they confirmed that we have access to the spa serivices. But, I'm still gonna bring both my original docs and my new docs so there won't be any confusion. ; )

[Legend]

Essiesmom is correct if you received a FREE upgrade to a Spa cabin you do not get to take advantage of the spa services offered with that cabin.

[Cabana Girl]

Cabana Girl,

 

What was the cabin number you booked months ago?

What cabin number was shown on your original (deposit) invoice?

What cabin number was shown on your most recent invoice?

What cabin number was shown on your documents?

 

Something is very odd here - just trying to figure out the timeline so it makes sense to me.:)

 

All documents have the same cabin number.

[jayesouthworth]

I don't blame you for being pissed at all!! This is just not right! I really hope you get this resolved, and that Carnival gives you a good deal on another cruise. Anything else besides an apology is unacceptable IMHO.

[DarthGrady]

I really think some Carnival emplyees need to attend Disney's "How to Make Your Customers Feel All Warm and Fuzzy Thus Ensuring Their Repeat Business" class.

 

You see the occasional "Carnival treated me bad" thread and dismiss it as an isolated incident, but these have been cropping up more and more lately.

[rottiemom]

You would think that no matter what, that the onboard staff would make every effort to give you the complimentary spa pass, even if you didn't pay for it. This is because you would have sounded earnest and confused. Sorry for your experience. My friend who stayed in a Spa balcony was not that impressed. She would have rather had a normal balcony midship.

[sharecruises]

Ouch..that really must have been frustrating

 

could you use cell phone to call the TA or PVP or Carnival customer service? Or get

help on internet?? Have you heard anything more??

[firefly333]

Carnival can get in touch with your TA from the purser's desk, they can call them during business hours, or call Carnival to figure it out. Hopefully you booked thru a PVP or TA, not on your own online. I dont understand how they couldnt figure this out during the whole week. OP can you tell us more?

[jessemon]

This is one of those things you read every now and then and just shake your head.

This is why I take every communication with me I receive from the TA......All goes in a folder from the day I book and on to the ship with me.....

I am not one to think people should get free cruises for nothing but in this case.....Carnival owes these people big if everything we have learned from the "OP" are the facts.....

[CC Help Michell]

Essiesmom is correct if you received a FREE upgrade to a Spa cabin you do not get to take advantage of the spa services offered with that cabin.

 

 

That's a ridiculous policy. If you don't want people to get the benefits of being in a spa cabin without paying higher prices for them, then don't put them in that cabin class! When an airline gives you a complimentary upgrade to first class they don't say "but you don't get the free drinks and fancy meal -- here's your cardboard box with a cardboard sandwich and one cup of soda, cause YOU didn't pay for this like your neighbor did." The flight crew treats everyone seated in first the same.

 

Carnival is putting WAY too much responsibility on the onboard staff to get application of this policy right -- and obviously the onboard staff isn't able to get it right at least some of the time.

 

Why not have a simple policy NOT subject to misinterpretation/misapplication by onboard personnel? If you are in a spa cabin you get those benefits; if you aren't in a spa cabin you'll have to pay for those benefits. I'm actually shocked to find out that's NOT their policy!

[firefly333]

When you booked, was it a special where you booked one category with automatic upgrade to another? If so, people upgraded in that manner are not eligible for the spa facilities unless they pay for the, EM

 

I think people would not understand they hadnt "paid for it". I know I would have thought I paid for my cabin and anything that came with it, even if the upgrade had been part of my fare.

 

We dont know this is the case with the OP, but if I paid for a more expensive fare to get to this cabin via free upgrade, than booking a cabin with ES Id be upset.. No where is this policy stated I know of.

[aggieastrosfan]

You know, I think a simple solution to Carnival's "oops" problem as far as spa access goes, is to provide spa services to ALL the spa cabin occupants. So WHAT if a couple of people didn't PAY for a spa cabin and just got upgraded? How often are they upgrading people to spa cabins anyway? :rolleyes: You'd think satisfied customers would be worth more than the $240 they MIGHT have made from the upgraded folks.

 

It would be so much easier and less confusing for the staff if they just gave everyone access who's in a spa cabin. The first class upgrade example was great.

 

To the OP, I would definitely be looking for some answers and writing some letters, that's not right at all!

[BigDogCruiser]

All documents have the same cabin number.

 

 

You state that all of your documents have the same cabin number and your original post says you were "assigned" an 8P. So the question is did you book and pay for an 8P or did you book some other class and then Carnival "assigned" you to an 8P...by way of a free upgrade?

[arpie05]

I would definitely try the nice letter approach in snail mail to the VP for Customer Service. I did this when my cruise was changed from 4 to a 5 day. Well, I had to change my airfare and the $100 they offered did not cover the change. Just to change the plane ticket cost me $100 then there was a the fact the flight had gone up so I had to pay the difference. I did not feel that it was fair that just because Carnival made the marketing decision to rework their itineraries that I should be out money to take the cruise.

 

Anyway, I did end up with more than the $100 pp than was originally offered and was immediately contacted when they got the letter.

 

I included in the letter things I liked about Carnival, why I had booked the cruise within so many weeks of returning from another cruise, etc. I also included my PVP's name - and she contacted him to see if he had the documentation to show how much more it cost me to change the plane tickets.

 

If you paid for the Spa room, you should have gotten to go and I'm sorry it didn't work out. Sounds like you used a TA and maybe she should have cleared it up - maybe she didn't book it right. I don't know. Do you get an immediate confirmation from Carnival when you book with TA to show your room assignment? If so it would be a good proof of what you booked and when.

[LHP]

You state that all of your documents have the same cabin number and your original post says you were "assigned" an 8P. So the question is did you book and pay for an 8P or did you book some other class and then Carnival "assigned" you to an 8P...by way of a free upgrade?

 

I think you hit the nail on the head.

 

IF the OP was "upgraded" at the time of booking (which happens to us all the time....we pay for a 4A and are given a 4D cabin) then they would not qualify for the benefits.

 

If the OP booked a balcony gty and were "assigned" an 8P then you were not entitled to the Spa benefits.

[LHP]

We are the folks that DGP1111 is talking about....we booked a SPA interior (clearly paying for the benefits)....just before sailing we were upgraded to a SPA balcony.

 

The Carnival system only says "complimentary upgrade" ...it does not say "where" you were upgraded from....so we did spend Embarkation Day getting the Purser's Desk run around.

 

Regular cabin upgraded to Spa....no benefits.

Spa cabin upgraded to Spa cabin...benefits.

 

The next morning, we just went to the Spa Desk and told them to give us our wristbands and they did.

[tea4ular]

I've taken matters into my own hands. To ensure that we get the spa balcony services I have sent an e-mail through Carnival's website. I requested a response in writing, via e-mail, and I will print and carry that e-mail with me when I board.

 

Like someone said, if you're upgraded to first class on a flight you don't get "coach" service. If I am upgraded to the Penthouse Suite they don't pull out all the fancy furnishings and put in economy furniture.

 

Look, there are a limited number of these "spa" cabins, and I for one believe if you're in one (however you got there) you should get the perks.