Should I be mad!!!

[fastphil4u]

:mad: We leave on the 17th of april,next weekend! I just heard from Carnival....not happy:confused: I fly out sun and arrive around 12:50 in Tampa.Now here comes the crappy part.I don't fly out return flight until MONDAY at 12:30!!!!And get in Syracuse at 9:40 mon night! They are going to put us up in the Marriott.I am really mad :mad: .They can't find any flight s out to Syracuse on sun.Well Carnival,why not wait until the last minute to book my air???NEVER again will I book air through them.Now I guess I will just have to drink till I puke on something nice on the ship!...LOL Of course I would not do that.But I am still mad.Am I being unreasonable??

[CruiseFever]

:mad: We leave on the 17th of april,next weekend! I just heard from Carnival....not happy:confused: I fly out sun and arrive around 12:50 in Tampa.Now here comes the crappy part.I don't fly out return flight until MONDAY at 12:30!!!!And get in Syracuse at 9:40 mon night! They are going to put us up in the Marriott.I am really mad :mad: .They can't find any flight s out to Syracuse on sun.Well Carnival,why not wait until the last minute to book my air???NEVER again will I book air through them.Now I guess I will just have to drink till I puke on something nice on the ship!...LOL Of course I would not do that.But I am still mad.Am I being unreasonable??

.

 

 

We had a similar situation the one and only time we booked air with the cruise line. Personally, I don't think you are being unreasonable. But rather than the drinking thing as a solution (that should be for a GOOD reason) I'd cool down just a little bit and then call them up.

 

Daily if not twice a day.

 

Don't be nasty or demanding but let them know that you (the squeeky wheel) need attention (grease). Remember those people who answer the phone are doing their job. They really don't have it out for you as much as it might seem so. Get them on your side and you'll get much farther. Could be there simply is not anything else available. But I've seen worse scenarios than yours get improved.

 

The return is no good, but I'm not wild about the time you're getting there either. One reason they might have done that is if you booked transfers (stuffy ride in big van) with them too. They might end up doing you a favor coming in at that time. You might not have to wait around long for them to fill up the bus and go to the ship. We waited almost 3 hours once in Miami for just that reason.

 

The return, while inconvenient, can be one of those things that you can turn around to your advantage though. There's a ton of stuff to do post-cruise. Do what you have to do to adjust your schedule at home to accomodate being gone that extra day and enjoy it...on the house! You might consider calling them and asking for some compensation to help with meals because that extra day put you over budget. The most likely move for them would be to grant you some onboard credit to help with your overall budget...since you didn't even HAVE a budget for that extra day planned at all.

 

Often, and I mean REALLY often, I've called Carnival and gotten one answer from one person, hung up, called back and gotten a different answer from another one. Be patient. Have paper and pen handy. Write down what each contact tells you and get their name.

 

I am not in any way promoting for you to become a moaner. But theres a difference. Moaners just look for stuff to moan about. You have a reason to be vocal with Carnival about this.

 

Still, you're at their mercy. They've done nothing wrong insofar as their obligation to get you to the ship and back goes. If you do any of the above and it works, great. If not, forget about it, leave it on land and have a fabulous cruise.

[fastphil4u]

Chris,

 

Thanks for the reply.I booked everything through Walmart travel,she told me yesterday that Carnival probably wouldn't even talk to me,cause I used a TA and not them.Walmart was very helpful,but it is out of their hands.I feel Carnival should do something too.When I booked this cruise in Dec,I was told I could get the air add on.I thought this would be more convenient.I was wrong.Also got 6 family members to book cruise too.Extra money for me....extra day for my 2 dogs boarding,extra day for 2 tuxes being returned a day later than I thought.Another day off from work for wife and I.I wish Carnival had not waited to the last minute for air,geez! BTW my family members are coming fron NH and booked their own air,cause there was no air from their airport through Carnival,Lucky them huh?:)

[halos]

It is an inconvenience to be sure and I understand how angry you must be. If you can't get this worked out, please don't allow it to ruin your cruise. I'm sure you're like the rest of us that work hard to be able to get away. Staying pissed about this just doesn't make sense in the big scheme of things.

Just consider this a lesson learned....all the tough stuff winds up to be a lesson somehow.

I wish you calm seas and sunny skies...you deserve it!!

[jster]

Hello...We live in Rochester, how about flying here? Not sure if that would work for you. Only an hour drive from Syracuse.

Good luck :)

[marktac]

:mad: We leave on the 17th of april,next weekend! I just heard from Carnival....not happy:confused: I fly out sun and arrive around 12:50 in Tampa.Now here comes the crappy part.I don't fly out return flight until MONDAY at 12:30!!!!And get in Syracuse at 9:40 mon night! They are going to put us up in the Marriott.I am really mad :mad: .They can't find any flight s out to Syracuse on sun.Well Carnival,why not wait until the last minute to book my air???NEVER again will I book air through them.Now I guess I will just have to drink till I puke on something nice on the ship!...LOL Of course I would not do that.But I am still mad.Am I being unreasonable??

 

I don't understand at all what your problem is. You booked your air through Carnival, knowing full well (didn't you?) that they were making the air arrangements, and you willingly deferred to them for that. Carnival buys blocks of ticket space from the airlines and you go when they have available space on whatever airline they use. I can't believe that there are too many flights to Syracuse from Tampa, so you get what they have.

 

FWIW, flying USAir or Southwest out of Manchester, NH is very convenient. I know because my wife goes to visit family regularly and they have a great schedule lineup.

 

Flight scheduling isn't done by Carnival until shortly before your cruise date. You are coming at the tail end of spring break, and seats are probably in short supply for full fare passengers. In planning your vacation time, this is something you should have anticipated, or at the very least your TA should have cautioned you that this was a possibility.

 

So, why not enjoy Sunday afternoon at the beach? Why not go to the Aquarium, the Museum of Science & Industry, the Tampa Art Museum, Ybor City, or any number of things? Or, better yet, why not sit down in your hotel room and begin composing the great review you are going to post after you get back?

 

FWIW, if you go aboard still grousing about this, you will nitpick everything. Why worry about it? Have a good time with your family and friends and enjoy the extra day.

 

Mark T. (who lives in Tampa)

[abbyndrewmom]

Chris,

 

Thanks for the reply.I booked everything through Walmart travel,she told me yesterday that Carnival probably wouldn't even talk to me,cause I used a TA and not them.Walmart was very helpful,but it is out of their hands.I feel Carnival should do something too.When I booked this cruise in Dec,I was told I could get the air add on.I thought this would be more convenient.I was wrong.Also got 6 family members to book cruise too.Extra money for me....extra day for my 2 dogs boarding,extra day for 2 tuxes being returned a day later than I thought.Another day off from work for wife and I.I wish Carnival had not waited to the last minute for air,geez! BTW my family members are coming fron NH and booked their own air,cause there was no air from their airport through Carnival,Lucky them huh?:)

 

Take Chris's suggestions to your TA and ask them to talk to Carnival for you. While Carnival may not be able to change your airfare they should be able to give you some sort of compensation on the boat. As a TA it is our job to represent the client not make it easier for the provider to take advantage of them!! If it was me I would do a conference call with my client and carnival both so we could work out the best situation for everyone. Is there another airport you could fly in and out of that might have better flight times. it may mean more driving for you but if it got you home on Sunday it may be worth it. Good luck and try not to let this ruin your cruise.

[tef43]

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/EMB_travel_hotline.aspx

 

Just *one* of the risks that you assume when letting the cruiseline book your air. On balance, it's cheaper to do it yourself, and you also have a greater chance of getting an itinerary that is acceptable to you.

 

There *are* certain instances where the cruiselines air add-on *is* cheaper, but they are few and far between.

[Cruising89143]

Just use this as a lesson learned and go with the flow. As others have said, do not let this take away from your cruise as you will have a great time. If you are going to be upset with anyone it should be your TA for not giving you more information about using the cruise line for booking your air. As Tef stated, there are very few instances where letting the cruise line book your air to be an advantage.

[fastphil4u]

I don't understand at all what your problem is. You booked your air through Carnival, knowing full well (didn't you?) that they were making the air arrangements, and you willingly deferred to them for that. Carnival buys blocks of ticket space from the airlines and you go when they have available space on whatever airline they use. I can't believe that there are too many flights to Syracuse from Tampa, so you get what they have.

 

FWIW, flying USAir or Southwest out of Manchester, NH is very convenient. I know because my wife goes to visit family regularly and they have a great schedule lineup.

 

Flight scheduling isn't done by Carnival until shortly before your cruise date. You are coming at the tail end of spring break, and seats are probably in short supply for full fare passengers. In planning your vacation time, this is something you should have anticipated, or at the very least your TA should have cautioned you that this was a possibility.

 

I'll tell you what my problem is.

When I booked the cruise and airfare I was told there was air available.I was not told at that time that Carnival was going to wait till the last minute to do the air.Had I been told,I would have surely made my own arrangements.Whether it was my ta or Carnival's fault it doesn't matter.

So,you now know what my problem is!!. Thanks to you others who understand. :) I will have a wonderful cruise,you can bet on that.:)

[travellady]

After taking a week off of work, many of us have to be back in the office Monday morning. Did Carnival or TA ask you when you needed to be back? Could you not tell them you absolutely need to be back to work on Monday - it just seems strange to me that you have to wait an extra day. Could you not fly into another airport such as Buffalo or Albany?

[JDee]

It is very possible that Carnival had intended to furnish air via one of the low, low cost airlines that used the Clearwater/St. Petersburg airport. Two of those airlines are now kaput & the airport lost 80 percent of their flights. TPA now is the truly the top dog in these parts.....

 

Who pays the hotel bill?? Just wondering.....

 

Happy cruising.....

[marktac]

[quote name=fastphil4uI'll tell you what my problem is.

When I booked the cruise and airfare I was told there was air available.I was not told at that time that Carnival was going to wait till the last minute to do the air.Had I been told' date='I would have surely made my own arrangements.Whether it was my ta or Carnival's fault it doesn't matter.

So,you now know what my problem is!!. Thanks to you others who understand. :) I will have a wonderful cruise,you can bet on that.:)

 

Your gripe should be with your TA, then. It's safe to say that almost never will Carnival book your air more than about 3 weeks out. Just like you, they shop for the best deal for space available. It's rare, but there are instances where the air portion falls through at the last minute with any cruise line simply because the seats aren't there. They use charters as well.

 

It really isn't a matter of ME understanding, it is a matter of you understanding what you got yourself into, and deciding now to make the best of it. If Carnival changes your air, well and good, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

Mark T.

[Girlsnightout]

You were told that air was available, regardless of whether it is Carnival's fault or the TA's, they're both professionals and they promised something they couldn't deliver. If the route is a difficult one, they shouldn't sell it. It's that simple. It's totally unreasonable to have a return flight the following day.

 

You didn't get yourself into anything, unless one considers believing a company is a stupid thing to do. If you're not an experienced cruiser you have no reason to think the cruiselines and TA's are that incompetent. Now you know, but it doesn't help the situation. Shame on the TA or Carnival, and shame on anyone who is blaming the victim (you).

[FnyFACEnAL]

I was quite surprised that Carnival would hold you over an extra day. This is good info for the readers of these boards. Most folks are anxious to get back to jobs and families left behind, however, we are retired so an extra day in Tampa would be no hardship; for some this could be a disaster.

[MyImagination]

I was quite surprised that Carnival would hold you over an extra day. This is good info for the readers of these boards. Most folks are anxious to get back to jobs and families left behind, however, we are retired so an extra day in Tampa would be no hardship; for some this could be a disaster.

 

Not sure why its so shocking, its clearly stated in the above link that its a possiblity during peak seasons.

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/EMB_travel_hotline.aspx

 

Its amazing what you find out when you read the exact policy.

 

Carnival only attempts to get you airfare, they never promise that they can provide airfare for any passenger. I guess someone could get mad, but its always a good idea to always make sure what you are buying.

 

I hope she has a wonderful cruise.

[BonnieA]

You were told that air was available, regardless of whether it is Carnival's fault or the TA's, they're both professionals and they promised something they couldn't deliver. If the route is a difficult one, they shouldn't sell it. It's that simple. It's totally unreasonable to have a return flight the following day.

 

You didn't get yourself into anything, unless one considers believing a company is a stupid thing to do. If you're not an experienced cruiser you have no reason to think the cruiselines and TA's are that incompetent. Now you know, but it doesn't help the situation. Shame on the TA or Carnival, and shame on anyone who is blaming the victim (you).

 

I totally agree!!!! But, then in this society doesn't it seem like all the "know it alls" try to blame the victim!! MARKTAC, you should be calling yourself MARKTACTLESS.

[GoinCruisin]

While I am sorry that the OP is going through this ordeal, what is so wrong with expecting people to be an informed traveler? You are spending thousands on a vacation, a little bit of research is in order... and in this case, it does not take much research... as posted above, the T's and C's of the Fly Aweigh program are clearly stated... I think sometimes we rely too heavily on others (such as TA's) to tell us everything, when we have seen over and over again, that is not always wise. When buying a car, we don't rely solely on the dealer to tell us everything about the car, we do research and make sure we know what we are getting in to. I don't think it is too much for us, as consumers, to do the same thing when we travel. I don't think attacking Marktac for what he said is the way to go... I think he was being to the point... this policy of arranging air is spelled out, and nobody was trying to pull a fast one. Which is why many prefer to put their air travel in their own hands.... not that the OP did anything wrong, but perhaps going over the conditions of the Fly Aweigh program would have made the terms more clear. Just MHO of course...

 

OP, I hope that you can get other arrangements made... good luck to you!

[kodiac]

.

 

 

We had a similar situation the one and only time we booked air with the cruise line. Personally, I don't think you are being unreasonable. But rather than the drinking thing as a solution (that should be for a GOOD reason) I'd cool down just a little bit and then call them up.

 

Daily if not twice a day.

 

Don't be nasty or demanding but let them know that you (the squeeky wheel) need attention (grease). Remember those people who answer the phone are doing their job. They really don't have it out for you as much as it might seem so. Get them on your side and you'll get much farther. Could be there simply is not anything else available. But I've seen worse scenarios than yours get improved.

 

The return is no good, but I'm not wild about the time you're getting there either. One reason they might have done that is if you booked transfers (stuffy ride in big van) with them too. They might end up doing you a favor coming in at that time. You might not have to wait around long for them to fill up the bus and go to the ship. We waited almost 3 hours once in Miami for just that reason.

 

The return, while inconvenient, can be one of those things that you can turn around to your advantage though. There's a ton of stuff to do post-cruise. Do what you have to do to adjust your schedule at home to accomodate being gone that extra day and enjoy it...on the house! You might consider calling them and asking for some compensation to help with meals because that extra day put you over budget. The most likely move for them would be to grant you some onboard credit to help with your overall budget...since you didn't even HAVE a budget for that extra day planned at all.

 

Often, and I mean REALLY often, I've called Carnival and gotten one answer from one person, hung up, called back and gotten a different answer from another one. Be patient. Have paper and pen handy. Write down what each contact tells you and get their name.

 

I am not in any way promoting for you to become a moaner. But theres a difference. Moaners just look for stuff to moan about. You have a reason to be vocal with Carnival about this.

 

Still, you're at their mercy. They've done nothing wrong insofar as their obligation to get you to the ship and back goes. If you do any of the above and it works, great. If not, forget about it, leave it on land and have a fabulous cruise.

 

How's it going Chris?!? Long time no type. I will take plenty of pictures and video for you on the Valor.