TA screw up with my time dining - help.

[WVGAL]

I'll try not to make a short story long... We booked through a travel agent on the Imagination on 1/3/11 last April. In August DS and BIL decided to come along and wanted my time dining. On 8/6 we called our travel agent and requested the change. She said we'd have to pay the gratuities up front in order to get that. No problem. Charge showed up on credit card receipt and we assumed all was fine. DS booked in late August with my time dining with no problem. Now we're on-line getting our fun pass and find that we are still listed for late seating. I called travel agent (couldn't get our agent - on vacation). Talked to another who said she could put us on a waiting list. Told her we didn't want to be on a waiting list and should have already been on my time. She said there was nothing she could do. I called Carnival and they said they couldn't even access our reservation because it was through a travel agency. Said upon boarding to go to dining room and see if they could do anything. What if we can't change? Now our other party will have to change and they don't want to - if they even can.

 

We're not experienced cruisers. Any suggestions?

[Thirsty Cruiser]

You need to go through your TA. I would go to the manager/owner of the agency and get some answers. Carnival cannot help you.

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

I'll try not to make a short story long... We booked through a travel agent on the Imagination on 1/3/11 last April. In August DS and BIL decided to come along and wanted my time dining. On 8/6 we called our travel agent and requested the change. She said we'd have to pay the gratuities up front in order to get that. No problem. Charge showed up on credit card receipt and we assumed all was fine. DS booked in late August with my time dining with no problem. Now we're on-line getting our fun pass and find that we are still listed for late seating. I called travel agent (couldn't get our agent - on vacation). Talked to another who said she could put us on a waiting list. Told her we didn't want to be on a waiting list and should have already been on my time. She said there was nothing she could do. I called Carnival and they said they couldn't even access our reservation because it was through a travel agency. Said upon boarding to go to dining room and see if they could do anything. What if we can't change? Now our other party will have to change and they don't want to - if they even can.

 

We're not experienced cruisers. Any suggestions?

 

Go to the CCL website and pull up you booking after you log into my cruise manager. If it is not showing there you need to add your cruise booking # under the add a cruise tab. Once you do that the booking will show with your cabin assignment and your dining time. If it shows a set dining time (6PM or 8:15) there will be an edit tab next to the dining time. Click on it and change it to anytime dining (If it is available). I have done this for bookings made through CCL or a travel agent.

[WVGAL]

That's our next step.

 

Thanks.

[Warm Breezes]

I'll try not to make a short story long... We booked through a travel agent on the Imagination on 1/3/11 last April. In August DS and BIL decided to come along and wanted my time dining. On 8/6 we called our travel agent and requested the change. She said we'd have to pay the gratuities up front in order to get that. No problem. Charge showed up on credit card receipt and we assumed all was fine. DS booked in late August with my time dining with no problem. Now we're on-line getting our fun pass and find that we are still listed for late seating. I called travel agent (couldn't get our agent - on vacation). Talked to another who said she could put us on a waiting list. Told her we didn't want to be on a waiting list and should have already been on my time. She said there was nothing she could do. I called Carnival and they said they couldn't even access our reservation because it was through a travel agency. Said upon boarding to go to dining room and see if they could do anything. What if we can't change? Now our other party will have to change and they don't want to - if they even can.

 

We're not experienced cruisers. Any suggestions?

Why would you have to pay your gratuities up front for anytime dining? We did not need to do this on the Destiny and I've never heard of it being required before.

[WVGAL]

Go to the CCL website and pull up you booking after you log into my cruise manager. If it is not showing there you need to add your cruise booking # under the add a cruise tab. Once you do that the booking will show with your cabin assignment and your dining time. If it shows a set dining time (6PM or 8:15) there will be an edit tab next to the dining time. Click on it and change it to anytime dining (If it is available). I have done this for bookings made through CCL or a travel agent.

 

We'll try that too.

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

We'll try that too.[/quot

 

It will work if anytime dining is available on your ship and it is not sold out. Also why did you have to prepay gratuities for antime dining?

[WVGAL]

Why would you have to pay your gratuities up front for anytime dining? We did not need to do this on the Destiny and I've never heard of it being required before.

 

That's what I was wondering too. I've never heard of this before either. But the TA insisted that it had to be done. I might add that my DM was doing all this as I'm out of state and now here in FL for our cruise. So I'm trying to get all this finalized.

[firefly333]

Why would you have to pay your gratuities up front for anytime dining? We did not need to do this on the Destiny and I've never heard of it being required before.

 

RCL makes you do this, not Carnival .. just a TA who doesnt know the booking rules for Carnival? I too didnt think Carnival required this.

[GlendaleCruiser]

That's what I was wondering too. I've never heard of this before either. But the TA insisted that it had to be done. I might add that my DM was doing all this as I'm out of state and now here in FL for our cruise. So I'm trying to get all this finalized.

 

 

Never heard of this, either. Sounds odd to me.:cool:

[iowagirl411]

When I place the tips of my index fingers to my temples, I can see a new travel agent in your future!

[golfadj]

Things like this made us leave our TA and get a pvp.

[tak81288]

How frustrating for you...It sounds like your TA didn't know the Carnival rules if they thought you had to pre pay your gratuities. It is an option, but not required, but at least you got them out of the way so your s&s bill will be less.

 

It also sounds like they dropped the ball when it came to switching your dining assignment...Next time, I would probably use a different TA or if you are comfortable, just book direct with the cruise line so you have more control over your booking.

 

I hope it works out for you though!

[WVGAL]

When I place the tips of my index fingers to my temples, I can see a new travel agent in your future!

 

 

You got that right! We're toying with the idea of a repositioning cruise in the spring and will definately not use this TA. Will go with a PVP instead.

 

I just talked with someone else at Carnival who said the dining option was booked and the ONLY thing we could do was to go to MDR asap and plead our case. Maybe a big tip in hand when I walk in the door would help.

[AWCHIEF]

You got that right! We're toying with the idea of a repositioning cruise in the spring and will definately not use this TA. Will go with a PVP instead.

 

I just talked with someone else at Carnival who said the dining option was booked and the ONLY thing we could do was to go to MDR asap and plead our case. Maybe a big tip in hand when I walk in the door would help.

 

OP: There is no reason to pre-bribe any Carnival employee. If the MD can accommodate your request, he will. Good Luck, after using the anytime option for the last several cruises, I think that it is the way to go for me.

[papilliontraveler]

OP: There is no reason to pre-bribe any Carnival employee. If the MD can accommodate your request, he will. Good Luck, after using the anytime option for the last several cruises, I think that it is the way to go for me.

 

Exactly. ^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Don't worry about it and just talk to the MD when you go to eat.

And everyone is spot on with the prepaid gratuities. We booked with anytime dining and did not have to pay for them up front. Never have. You had an inexperienced TA.

[iowagirl411]

If you can't get it fixed, don't let it spoil your cruise. Make sure everyone in you group is assigned the same time and make the best of it. If your assigned time isn't convenient every night, you can always hit the buffett a couple of times. It's just food! Relax and enjoy each others company.

[Essiesmom]

You should have your TA and their TA link your reservations. They should then have you dining together. EM

[Thirsty Cruiser]

... What if we can't change? Now our other party will have to change and they don't want to - if they even can...

If the other party would rather eat alone than change to eat with you, I don't see this as a very big deal. If you still want to change, go to the main DR as soon as you can and talk to the MD. If they can accommodate you, they will.

 

Frankly, I would be a little put off that the "other party" would not switch to stay together, and not even try to change.

[golfadj]

Get the fun times when you board and see what time the MD will be holding court and get there asap and ask for switch.

 

You do not need to bribe him and if he can he will or it might take a day or two.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I seem to be reading more and more about anytime dining being full and people are getting waitlisted and on the other hand I read that anytime dining isn't very popular.:confused:

 

Maybe CCL needs to reevaluate and add more anytime dining space.

 

I've also read on the NCL board that people cruise exclusively with NCL because of the anytime dining.

 

Bill

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

Just wanted to chime in that I just booked 2 cabins for a cruise in February with "anytime dining" and the gratuities were required up front too!

 

Maybe because the cruise date is within 60 days or so?

 

Anyway...it's only a 4 day cruise so the "pre-payment" was no problem. On a longer cruise, it would have been a bit more.

 

I didn't think twice about it becasue in the long run, it's actually one less thing to worry about at the end of the cruise.

 

Is this something new?

[tak81288]

Just wanted to chime in that I just booked 2 cabins for a cruise in February with "anytime dining" and the gratuities were required up front too!

 

Maybe because the cruise date is within 60 days or so?

 

Anyway...it's only a 4 day cruise so the "pre-payment" was no problem. On a longer cruise, it would have been a bit more.

 

I didn't think twice about it becasue in the long run, it's actually one less thing to worry about at the end of the cruise.

 

Is this something new?

 

 

Wow! Did you book direct or thru a TA? I always prepay gratuities to get them out the way, but haven't HAD to do it even with anytime dining.

 

Maybe Carnival IS starting something new, but this is the first I've heard of it...

[WVGAL]

We didn't have a problem with pre-paying gratuidies as its pay now or pay later. Just that the TA told us that in order to get any time dining we had to pre-pay. We talked to the TA manager who is checking daily until we sail to see where we stand on the waitlist. She's also checking to see how many are waitlisted. As soon as we board, I'm going to see what the MD can do for us (without a bribe) and if they can't help, our other party will switch to late dining. Carnival said the late dining usually isn't full. I guess what really irked me is I work in hospitality/customer service at a 4 diamond resort and when we get a request from a guest, it gets taken care of. Thanks for the ideas, comments and support. Like stated before, its just a meal.

 

Happy cruising.

[notme1955]

That's odd. We just booked a 4-day for February with anytime dining and didn't have to prepay gratuities. We booked directly through Carnival. Wonder if that makes a difference?