Affected by Sandy, but unable to get a cancel for full refund/credit from carnival

[RuthlessBoss]

I am booked on a cruise on 8th November from Tampa Florida on Carnival.

 

I live in NJ which is severely affected by super storm Sandy, so I am in no position to go on a cruise.

 

Carnival is refusing to give any refund/credit for cancelling the cruise.:mad:

 

I do not have any travel insurance or cancellation options purchased.

 

Anybody in similar situation?

 

How can we have carnival give a full refund/full credit?

 

I had a air travel booked via United and they are giving full credit and waiving trip change fees.

 

As if losses due to Sandy are not bad enough, we are going to lose cruise fees.:mad:

We know NJ got hit. You live there. There's still another week till the sail. Airlines are flying. People are flying. People are sailing.

Now, you said NJ was affected. Just how were YOU affected? Did you lose anything. You really did not elaborate beyond NJ being affected, and you felt you were in no position to go. If your home was damaged, check into that and any other possible coverage available. Can you provide proof of why you can't go.

Just asking questions about things not said in the post.

[firefly333]

Check on if you can change your room to a 3/4 person room. All of the rooms may be gone now that it is so close to sailing. Then you could change pax #2, add #3 and then you just are a "no show".

 

This is the only way this late.

 

Earlier you might have got by with changing one pax.. then a week later changing the other pax.. but maybe they might have noticed..

 

Now changing to a 3 pax cabin and you being a no show is the cheapest alternative.

 

Are you absolutely positive there is no way you can still go? You didnt say.. if you would rather not say how much you were affected, thats ok to.. I wish you well

[lorijeannj]

thank you firefly333 for your post!

I will call guest solutions and see how it goes.

There is at least some good news.

After reading the cancellation policy, think that I should be able to get back the taxes/gov fees.

Also I had prepaid gratuities, most likely I will get those refunded.

Can anyone confirm this/experince with this?

 

I am sorry ak51, I do hope Carnival is sensitive to your situation.

It is devastation at its worse here in Jersey, especially southern new jersey where I am. I am fortunate but others are not.

Prayers to you.

[sandy toes]

I just wish you well. Have family on NJ shore and 2 homes were lost, 3 damaged and 2 others are ok, just tree damage. So I do understand . My son lives on DE shore and he is lucky to be OK, things there were bad too. I am sorry about the cruise issues. Calling up the ladder does help with a lot of things, maybe you will have some luck on your side. The 3-in-a-cabin idea sounds promising. I know insurance isn't always a 100% thing but most often you can get some refund when you have major issue occur. I try to get the best ins I can find, not just for injuries but for the unexpected (such as this storm). Please, let us all know what happens.

[kansas kruiser]

:cool:First of all I wish all those on the East Coast the best!!:) But I live right in the middle of the US. I buy travel insurance for every cruise, I cruise either during Hurricane season or during the winter, If Carnival is going to give everyone who says they can't cruise for whatever reason a refund? Why am I wasting my money???

[LHP]

I am booked on a cruise on 8th November from Tampa Florida on Carnival.

 

I live in NJ which is severely affected by super storm Sandy, so I am in no position to go on a cruise.

 

Carnival is refusing to give any refund/credit for cancelling the cruise.:mad:

 

I do not have any travel insurance or cancellation options purchased.

 

Anybody in similar situation?

 

How can we have carnival give a full refund/full credit?

 

 

I had a air travel booked via United and they are giving full credit and waiving trip change fees.

 

As if losses due to Sandy are not bad enough, we are going to lose cruise fees.:mad:

 

 

Having survived a hurricane and the weeks of damage, I know how much of a toll it can take.

 

And I can understand why you may not not to go on a vacation right now...

 

But to be honest, I do not understand being mad at Carmival.

 

That is like someone without car insurance hitting your car and being mad at you because they do not have insurance money to fix their car. You did nothing wrong, what right would they have to be mad at you?

 

Now since companies do sometimes help with hardship cases, there is nothing wrong with asking.....but to be mad if the answer is no, is unreasonable.

 

No one ever expects the unexpected....which is why there is travel insurance.

[LHP]

Btw, I just got a Facebook message from a friend that lives on Long Island...

 

They have no idea when they will have power....so they booked a cruise that leaves tomorrow to get away from it all.....

[RuthlessBoss]

We know NJ got hit. You live there. There's still another week till the sail. Airlines are flying. People are flying. People are sailing.

Now, you said NJ was affected. Just how were YOU affected? Did you lose anything. You really did not elaborate beyond NJ being affected, and you felt you were in no position to go. If your home was damaged, check into that and any other possible coverage available. Can you provide proof of why you can't go.

Just asking questions about things not said in the post.

Maybe get a few answers today. Even if she had insurance, proof of need to cancel would be required unless had cancel for any reason. Right now, need to cancel is just heresay by the poster.

[jmorgania]

Aside from my sympathy and understanding of your situation. Let me put this into a different light. The port/location the cruise is sailing from is not affected. Hence why Carnival will not give you a refund. If the port sailing from was affected or the cruise itself was shortened etc then you would have a leg to stand on. If Carnival, or any other cruise line, were to give refunds for everyone affected by an unfortunate circumstance they would go out of business. Everyone who has a health condition arise, house burns down, tornado, car crashes, family member becomes ill or dies, etc would be calling for their money back and they would be sailing at significantly lower capacity. Airlines are the same way. The only reason the ariline refunded your money is because the airport itself and the flights are affected. The ability for anyone to get to the airport etc has been affected.

 

As much as I am truley sorry for your circumstance this is not something you will win by calling Carnival back over and over trying to get a different representative. They can not and will not refund this cruise for you. Nor will your CC company refund your purchase in this instance. I really am sorry but there is nothing anyone can do to help you cancel and get a refund. Cruise insurance would be your only hope and even then it would depend on the terms of the insurance purchased. Good luck.

[songbird1329]

Doing what is legal and doing what is right are not necessarily the same.

 

 

Contractually, Carnival has no obligation here.

 

 

But the NYC/New Jersey region has been devastated by this storm in unprecedented ways.

 

 

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

 

 

I would hope Carnival woukd be flexible in this situation.

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

[RuthlessBoss]

And, if I recall, she jumped the gun and cancelled the air flight before getting the facts. :eek: Unless she had damage, I think she went into panic mode. Now she has a cruise to take or lose all the money, but now has to get to the port somehow.

She must have electricity, she's been calling airlines and Carnival, as well as using the internet.

Not trying to minimize things, just bringing up questions, I/we are not there.

Next cruise/flight I bet travel insurance will be purchased. Most times it's never used, but then no one predicts they'll need it.

[Ken076]

Carnival and several other policies would have allowed cancellation if "your home is made uninhabitable by a natural disaster such as flood, earthquake, hurricane, volcano,

tornado, wildfires or blizzard" if that had been the case. Carnival VPP "Cancel for Any Reason" would have given 75% future Cruise Credit and other Policies "Cancel for Any Reason" would have reimbursed 50% to 90% Refund depending on which Policy and how late you cancel.

 

I doubt that Carnival will refund but I suspect they'd allow re-schedule of the Cruise.

 

Can't sell or transfer the cruise totally, as one of the original booking names has to stay on the booking.

 

In all fairness to Carnival, their Refunds and Credits were limited to cancelled or interrupted sailings.

 

ken

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Your 4 day cruise is listed as sold out. Since the ship is sailing full it looks like they could sell your cabin. You could ask if they would be interested in selling your cabin and giving you some sort of future credit. Just a thought... Best wishes and prayers for you and all affected by the storm. (I'll see it first hand Tuesday as we sail out of NY.)

[RuthlessBoss]

Your 4 day cruise is listed as sold out. Since the ship is sailing full it looks like they could sell your cabin. You could ask if they would be interested in selling your cabin and giving you some sort of future credit. Just a thought... Best wishes and prayers for you and all affected by the storm. (I'll see it first hand Tuesday as we sail out of NY.)

I didn't realize it was just a 4 dayer, thought it was a much longer one.

[Tapi]

called and was told that I can change rest of the passengers, but the primary one has to sail, meaning I may not be able to transfer this to someone else.

 

Primary one doesn't "have" to sail, just the name needs to remain in the reservation. You can do name changes on all the others, and even add people to the reservation (up to cabin capacity, including you). You can then be a "no show". :)

[luvtheships]

here is a thought......

 

maybe it is time for the CRUISELINES to start insuring their pax and not the other way around!

 

pax of course can and should still buy their own insurance...but what about the cruiseline buying a large group/blanket..or whatever you want to call it...policy on their own ship?

 

It would just be another expense of sailing the ship and yes it might cost some money for the cruiseline....but they are good at cutting costs and raising revenues..so they would still be able to turn a profit...

 

also, the cruiseline may want to consider only purchasing the insurance for certain cruises at certain times of the year....

 

So what I am suggesting is trip cancellation insurance for the cruiseline...and yes of course try to pass on the cost somehow but then they would at least be paying the pax back from insurance proceeds...

 

everyone will of course now rip this post apart...but just think about it...we as pax buy insurance to protect ourselves should something happen...why doesn't the cruiseline buy it to protect themselves if we the pax want to cancel?

 

 

BTW..it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the cruiselines already do this in some capacity to pprotect themselves when they have to cancel an entire cruise.

[luvtheships]

Having survived a hurricane and the weeks of damage, I know how much of a toll it can take.

 

And I can understand why you may not not to go on a vacation right now...

 

But to be honest, I do not understand being mad at Carmival.

 

That is like someone without car insurance hitting your car and being mad at you because they do not have insurance money to fix their car. You did nothing wrong, what right would they have to be mad at you?

 

Now since companies do sometimes help with hardship cases, there is nothing wrong with asking.....but to be mad if the answer is no, is unreasonable.

 

No one ever expects the unexpected....which is why there is travel insurance.

 

 

If you hit my car and I don't have money to fix?

 

If I am driving a car...that car and driver must be insured!!!! That is why the car will be fixed.

 

It is illeagal in New YOrk to drive an uninsured car. The driver is not insured...the car is. Whoever owns the cars needs to have uninsured driver coverage.

 

the cost of the policy is based on several things...the owners driving record..the cost and age of the car..etc..

 

but every car on the road must legally be insured by its owner..so if you lend it to your 90 yo grandfather or your next door neighbor to drive...as long as they are licensed drivers...the car is insured...

 

Now I am not saying some people don't break the law and drive an uninsured car...but that is illegal....

[RuthlessBoss]

Guess the OP does not like us.:D She's been on CC about 8 AM, saw the green light on, and stats says last activity 8:10!

How about feedback OP:confused:

[sooser28]

As much as I begrudge paying any extra, I include it as part of the cost of the trip and I always buy trip insurance with the "cancel for any reason" coverage. I have never needed to use it, but, the day I don't buy it, is when I'll need it. I figure I won't be cancelling unless something devastating is going on, so it will be just one less thing to have to stress about....

[traveling psych nurse]

I always buy cancel for any reason.You are self insured.

[nealstuber]

Guess the OP does not like us.:D She's been on CC about 8 AM, saw the green light on, and stats says last activity 8:10!

How about feedback OP:confused:

 

Lighten up man! Just cause OP is logged in does not mean they are sitting in from of the PC. The orginal premise is that she's not in a position to take a cruise, let alone tend to Cruise Critic on an hour by hour basis.

[RuthlessBoss]

I just started buying insurance the last 2 cruises. Of course I'll NEVER use it (don't I wish). Even with the extra outlay of expenses, it clearly gives a sense of relief. Tomorrow I drive by myself to the port, but who knows what will happen getting there, on the ship, or during the cruise at all? My cruise was super cheap, even though I paid double, but it's all the other things that might happen, so I'll always get insurance now.

[RuthlessBoss]

Lighten up man! Just cause OP is logged in does not mean they are sitting in from of the PC. The orginal premise is that she's not in a position to take a cruise, let alone tend to Cruise Critic on an hour by hour basis.

The only reason I mentioned it was the OP was not logged on prior to that.

[TrinaLC]

here is a thought......

 

maybe it is time for the CRUISELINES to start insuring their pax and not the other way around!

 

pax of course can and should still buy their own insurance...but what about the cruiseline buying a large group/blanket..or whatever you want to call it...policy on their own ship?

 

It would just be another expense of sailing the ship and yes it might cost some money for the cruiseline....but they are good at cutting costs and raising revenues..so they would still be able to turn a profit...

 

also, the cruiseline may want to consider only purchasing the insurance for certain cruises at certain times of the year....

 

So what I am suggesting is trip cancellation insurance for the cruiseline...and yes of course try to pass on the cost somehow but then they would at least be paying the pax back from insurance proceeds...

 

everyone will of course now rip this post apart...but just think about it...we as pax buy insurance to protect ourselves should something happen...why doesn't the cruiseline buy it to protect themselves if we the pax want to cancel?

 

 

BTW..it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the cruiselines already do this in some capacity to pprotect themselves when they have to cancel an entire cruise.

 

Sounds like the new healthcare law.

 

I prefer the freedom to make my own decisions.

 

We chose to self insure for cruises. We have saved far more by NOT paying extra for trip insurance over the years than we would lose on several missed cruises.

 

Quoted poster would take that freedom of choice away.

 

Welcome to the Nanny state.

[Havingfun2010]

I never buy trip insurance. The way I see it, the money I saved over the years will cover any issue I might have. Insurance is a for profit industry. When you can't go on a trip payed for, you do not lose the money, but rather the trip. The money is already gone. If you buy a gallon of milk and your kid leaves it on the countertop, it spoils. You lost the milk, not the money. You can't go to the store and e change it. It is sad and frustrating to miss a trip or other happy event but you need to look past it and accept your losses.