Itenary Change... I am so MAD!

[gusandgidgetsmom]

I hope you get over your "hate" Not a word I would ever use but I feel sorry that you are getting so upset. I am sure it is frustrating to have to change excursions. We had this happen to us but it was when my son got married on the cruise. The ship had to go to all together different ports. Imagine being a bride and planning your wedding , honeymoon with family members and having to cancel all the excursions and book others the day of the wedding and cruise. It could be much worse. Take a deep breath and realize you are blessed to get to cruise.

[DiamondBill102]

I still don't understand why you are so "mad"...Ok you missing GT which YOU said you understand..You are mad they switched the other port days and times...I assume you booked private tours, if so you can just contact them and let them know.

 

You are still getting the other ports and still will be there the same amount of time....

 

Why are you mad? What are you missing out on?

[quickrate]

I'm not sure what risk there is in booking private excursions. We did all private tours on the legend. When we were notified of our itinerary change I called all the tour operators. They already knew of the change and had just moved our tour to the new day. No hassle or risk involved. Most of these tour operators pay close attention to cruise schedules and know right away when changes happen. This is their livelyhood.

This!! All private tour operators are well aware when the schedule changes! This is how they make a living and they are very eager to accomodate you.

Pat

[quickrate]

They changed days for San Jusn and St Thomas. That is my issue. Why did they flop those ports around. They also changed all the times.

So, what is the problem? The tour operators of any private excursions you may have booked are well aware of the changes and will adjust their schedule to accomodate you.

Pat

[quickrate]

That's why you should book excursions through Carnival. They take care of all that for you. (Don't ya hate when people say crap like that?)

 

Relax, it will be OK. You need a vacation.

 

We NEVER book excursions with Carnival-Why pay twice as much? 19 cruises and all private excursions. Tour operators adjust to the new schedule. Never had a problem!!

Pat

[mzloolue]

Sadly, ports of call do not rearrange their schedules, nor do islands move around to accommodate particular individuals.

 

I can understand being disappointed. Having difficulty seeing how this sort of issue is so negative that I'd drop a cruise line forever.

 

Perhaps I can explain what I read.

 

The OP read on CC that Grand Turk is not being visited due to possible illness there.

The OP had not been contacted by Carnival, so he called to check and see how this would affect her cruise.

He was told that there would probably be an additional day at sea.

He was okay with all that even though Carnival should have contacted him about missing Grand Turk.

 

Then on the Friday before his cruise leaves on Sunday he receives an email stating that all his port days and times will now be different.

He has made plans and booked excursions and now they all must be cancelled or changed.

 

If he is like me, he has a lot to do before the cruise.

I had a cruise cancelled once and it was a pain changing plans and trying in touch with people.

 

If it was me I would be furious.

It makes me mad anyway and it is not me.

Someone needs to get themselves organized and it is not the OP.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Princess is reversing St Thomas and St Martin on sailings where Grand Turk is removed.

[Cruisin'Doc]

They changed days for San Jusn and St Thomas. That is my issue. Why did they flop those ports around. They also changed all the times.

 

It can be frustrating when things do not go as planned, and we have to scramble to make accommodationss.

 

I can only guess, but, as someone said earlier, it is not only your ship, and not only Carnival that is skipping GT right now, but all cruise lines. Imagine how many ships that is. Although your particular ship could not fit another port into the iternary, other ships may have been able to squeeze another port in - meaning, some ports may have been overbooked on certain days, resulting in the entire schedule for the ports having to be recoordinated.

 

That is what I am guessing, anyway. As for the times, the change in times would be to accommodate the length of time it takes to travel the new iternary.

 

As frustrating as this is...remember, this started as an attempt to protect you, and all guests of every line from a serious illness which can be life threatening. It is inconvenient, yes, but all of the lines are working together in an attempt to provide each guest the maximum 'best' experience aboard their respective vessels. That means each line and ship will be making changes and adapting along the way for the welfare of all guests and crew.

[Blurgh]

Perhaps I can explain what I read.

 

The OP read on CC that Grand Turk is not being visited due to possible illness there.

The OP had not been contacted by Carnival, so he called to check and see how this would affect her cruise.

He was told that there would probably be an additional day at sea.

He was okay with all that even though Carnival should have contacted him about missing Grand Turk.

 

Then on the Friday before his cruise leaves on Sunday he receives an email stating that all his port days and times will now be different.

He has made plans and booked excursions and now they all must be cancelled or changed.

 

If he is like me, he has a lot to do before the cruise.

I had a cruise cancelled once and it was a pain changing plans and trying in touch with people.

 

If it was me I would be furious.

It makes me mad anyway and it is not me.

Someone needs to get themselves organized and it is not the OP.

 

If it was me, I'd flip, as I drive a long distance to go on Florida cruises and would have even less lead time, by the time I found out.

 

And the "betcha" at the start doesn't help. They need to get rid of the Palin-ese.

[RRLLAL]

Stu you missed the OP's point: he now has to rearrange all his excursions because Carnival changed the dates for the ports on the cruise. He states he has no problem with skipping GT due to the potential for illness there.

 

Is that difficult to do? I've done it before and it is easy. 30 mins of his time.

[MeghanJ]

Sorry, but I am not understanding your frustration! My family sailed on the beautiful Liberty and went to Grand Turk--which was our favorite port, but we got sick big time after eating at a restaurant there!! I have no way to prove it was from our stop at Grand Turk...except that more than one cruise line is declining to stop there. That says a lot to me. I had the St. Thomas and Puerto Rico stops too. It would not have bugged me which was first and which was second. I am sure that there can only be so many ships in port on any one day--hence the change in your itinerary!

 

PLEASE trust me...you don't want to risk what we caught. Even if I would have had to surrender my excursion in St. Thomas--what I know now and experienced, I would have paid that amount NOT to get sick! It was not Carnival's fault--in my opinion. As soon as I heard the challenges in Grand Turk--I believe that is where the sickness came from.

 

Just my opinion. Hoping I don't get flamed!

 

 

 

 

 

I just got the below

email from

Carnival. I will never sail with them again. I understand not going to Gran turk. Things happen. But why change our other port dates and time? Our flight leaves in the morning. I am scrambling trying to change all of my excursions and tours. I hate them right now. This is horrible.

 

ITINERARY CHANGE

CARNIVAL GLORY

MARCH 24, 2013March 22, 2013

Greetings folks!

Betcha you can't wait for your cruise on Sunday, which is why we want to provide you with some important information regarding our itinerary plans for your sailing on the Carnival Glory

As you may know, during the last few weeks there has been an increase in reported cases of gastroenteritis among cruise ship guests following their visit to Grand Turk. Affected passengers were sailing aboard the ships of multiple cruise lines. Although not confirmed, we are investigating whether there may be a link with consumption of food and beverages while guests were ashore in Grand Turk.

Therefore, in an abundance of caution and because the well-being of our guests is our highest priority, various cruise lines, including ours, have cancelled calls to Grand Turk and are continuing to monitor the situation while the cause of the illnesses is being determined. Additionally, we have reversed the order of our visits to San Juan and St. Thomas and extended our times in all ports for your enjoyment.

We know how much you were looking forward to your time in Grand Turk and regret this sudden turn of events. Unfortunately, there are no other viable port alternatives for us. I trust you will understand this situation since our number one priority is the safety and welfare of our guests and crew.

Below is the revised itinerary:

 

 

 

 

DAYPORTARRIVEDEPARTSUNMiami, FL 4:00 PMMONNassau, The Bahamas8:00 AM4:00 PMTUEFun Day @ SeaWEDSan Juan, Puerto Rico12:00 PM10:00 PMTHUSt. Thomas, USVI8:00 AM6:00 PMFRIFun Day @ SeaSATFun Day @ SeaSUNMiami, FL8:00 AMPre-purchased shore excursions for Grand Turk, as well as a 14.71 USD per person credit for the government fees and taxes will be automatically refunded to your Sail & Sign account. We will make every effort to adjust pre-purchased shore tours for San Juan and St. Thomas to the new day and times. In the event your tour is affected, you will be notified on an individual basis.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for this change in plans and thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you aboard the Carnival Glory for a FUN and memorable cruise vacation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

[awhcruiser]

Wow.... A cruise is still a cruise. Did you read your passenger contract?

 

 

They changed days for San Jusn and St Thomas. That is my issue. Why did they flop those ports around. They also changed all the times.

[awhcruiser]

Like!

i'm sorry for your trouble. Please let me know what information of mine you need to transfer the trip to me.

[sippican]

Love all of the recommendations to stick with the Carnival excursions to take the "risks" out. As long as that kind of thinking persists, they will continue to use the "you might miss the ship" scare tactics, charge inflated prices and employ the cattle herd approach to touring.

Rarely does a ship-sponsored excursion offer the same quality as a well-researched private tour, and is frequently less money (by more than a few bucks).

That being said, the private tour providers should be aware of the changes in itinerary and will make every effort to accommodate those booked, as said previously, they want the income.

[dodgetrucksrule]

Many cruise lines are changing the ports around to try and accommodate ships that are skipping Grand Turk. Carnival has reversed two ports and added time at all the ports. You should be able to change the excursions as the tour operators depend on the income.

Nassau – was 7:00am – 2:00pm Now – 8:00am – 4:00pm

St. Thomas was 10:00am – 6:00pm Now 8:00am – 6:00pm

San Juan was 7:00am – 3:30pm Now 12:00pm – 10:00pm

I think Carnival was trying to be helpful – but it seems they can’t win for loosing.

[icat2000]

Look the poor ole OP was probably just venting a little steam. Hey, we all do it from time to time, no need to come down so hard on the poor person. They probably had time to digest everything and work through the issue now. I hope you have a great cruise.

[rhinomike]

Perhaps I can explain what I read.

 

The OP read on CC that Grand Turk is not being visited due to possible illness there.

The OP had not been contacted by Carnival, so he called to check and see how this would affect her cruise.

He was told that there would probably be an additional day at sea.

He was okay with all that even though Carnival should have contacted him about missing Grand Turk.

 

Then on the Friday before his cruise leaves on Sunday he receives an email stating that all his port days and times will now be different.

He has made plans and booked excursions and now they all must be cancelled or changed.

 

If he is like me, he has a lot to do before the cruise.

I had a cruise cancelled once and it was a pain changing plans and trying in touch with people.

 

If it was me I would be furious.

It makes me mad anyway and it is not me.

Someone needs to get themselves organized and it is not the OP.

 

YES!!! Thank you. Someone understands.

 

Sorry I haven't chimed in sooner. But I have spent the last 4 hours trying to rearrange my excursions. We had private tour guides on all 4 ports. We also had 2 golf carts rented on Gran Turk as well as a private tour Guide to take us to snorkel with Sting Rays. We like private tours just with our family.

 

I am fine with missing Gran Turk. I understand things happen. I don't want me or my family to get sick. But our plane leaves early in the morning. They tell me the night before that thy are switching our other ports too. That is what makes me mad. Not sure why they would do that.

 

We haven't been able to find a private tour guide for San Jun. The guy we had booked gave us a refund but he was booked for our new day. Haven't heard back rom the golf cart rental. The private boat, van and snorkel tour are not refundable. Jut out the deposit of $200.

 

Would book thru Carnival but they don't offer private tours or excursions.

 

Just a crappy way to start our vacation. I had lots of stuff to do tonight. Didn't have time to spend 4 hours on my computer.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Perhaps I can explain what I read.

 

The OP read on CC that Grand Turk is not being visited due to possible illness there.

The OP had not been contacted by Carnival, so he called to check and see how this would affect her cruise.

He was told that there would probably be an additional day at sea.

He was okay with all that even though Carnival should have contacted him about missing Grand Turk.

 

Then on the Friday before his cruise leaves on Sunday he receives an email stating that all his port days and times will now be different.

He has made plans and booked excursions and now they all must be cancelled or changed.

 

If he is like me, he has a lot to do before the cruise.

I had a cruise cancelled once and it was a pain changing plans and trying in touch with people.

 

If it was me I would be furious.

It makes me mad anyway and it is not me.

Someone needs to get themselves organized and it is not the OP.

 

You deserve a high 5! You nailed it.

 

I don't get the amount of posters who keep saying why would you want to go to a place that makes you sick when that is not the OP's problem at all.

 

Bill

[awhcruiser]

Would love to be in San Juan for ten hours!

 

Many cruise lines are changing the ports around to try and accommodate ships that are skipping Grand Turk. Carnival has reversed two ports and added time at all the ports. You should be able to change the excursions as the tour operators depend on the income.

Nassau – was 7:00am – 2:00pm Now – 8:00am – 4:00pm

St. Thomas was 10:00am – 6:00pm Now 8:00am – 6:00pm

San Juan was 7:00am – 3:30pm Now 12:00pm – 10:00pm

I think Carnival was trying to be helpful – but it seems they can’t win for loosing.

[NCTribeFan]

So, what is the problem? The tour operators of any private excursions you may have booked are well aware of the changes and will adjust their schedule to accomodate you.

Pat

 

This has always been my experience. The independent tour operators are well aware of any schedule changes. After all, this is what they do for a living.

 

My first Glory cruise, when we boarded we were informed that they were reversing the Roatan and Belize days. I had independent excursions booked for both and guess what? Both days, our tour operators were there waiting for us.

 

You know, I haven't spent much time here lately, but came back because I just booked again for a few weeks from now.

 

But all I see are angry posts (or dozens of PRICE DROP!!! threads). Just seems to be mass hysteria over prices drops (yes, they're nice, but dozens of threads about the same sale?), or mass mutiny over perceived insults. Guess I'll stick to the Roll Call and Port-of-Call boards.

[dallas52]

most tour operator will change your reservation and i would make sure everyone knew the one that kept my money and didnt change. i understand that he might be booked for the day you are going now but it isnt your fault you arent showing up, that why of the no refund. he would lose all his business if everyone found out that he would not refund money for the cruise line fault.

[LHP]

I just got the below email from Carnival. I will never sail with them again. I understand not going to Gran turk. Things happen. But why change our other port dates and time? Our flight leaves in the morning. I am scrambling trying to change all of my excursions and tours. I hate them right now. This is horrible.

 

ITINERARY CHANGE

CARNIVAL GLORY

MARCH 24, 2013March 22, 2013

Greetings folks!

Betcha you can't wait for your cruise on Sunday, which is why we want to provide you with some important information regarding our itinerary plans for your sailing on the Carnival Glory

As you may know, during the last few weeks there has been an increase in reported cases of gastroenteritis among cruise ship guests following their visit to Grand Turk. Affected passengers were sailing aboard the ships of multiple cruise lines. Although not confirmed, we are investigating whether there may be a link with consumption of food and beverages while guests were ashore in Grand Turk.

Therefore, in an abundance of caution and because the well-being of our guests is our highest priority, various cruise lines, including ours, have cancelled calls to Grand Turk and are continuing to monitor the situation while the cause of the illnesses is being determined. Additionally, we have reversed the order of our visits to San Juan and St. Thomas and extended our times in all ports for your enjoyment.

We know how much you were looking forward to your time in Grand Turk and regret this sudden turn of events. Unfortunately, there are no other viable port alternatives for us. I trust you will understand this situation since our number one priority is the safety and welfare of our guests and crew.

Below is the revised itinerary:

 

 

 

 

DAYPORTARRIVEDEPARTSUNMiami, FL 4:00 PMMONNassau, The Bahamas8:00 AM4:00 PMTUEFun Day @ SeaWEDSan Juan, Puerto Rico12:00 PM10:00 PMTHUSt. Thomas, USVI8:00 AM6:00 PMFRIFun Day @ SeaSATFun Day @ SeaSUNMiami, FL8:00 AMPre-purchased shore excursions for Grand Turk, as well as a 14.71 USD per person credit for the government fees and taxes will be automatically refunded to your Sail & Sign account. We will make every effort to adjust pre-purchased shore tours for San Juan and St. Thomas to the new day and times. In the event your tour is affected, you will be notified on an individual basis.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for this change in plans and thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you aboard the Carnival Glory for a FUN and memorable cruise vacation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Well, if this is the criteria you use to eliminate cruise lines....

 

I guess you will never cruise again, because all the cruise lines do this when necessary....

 

IF you want the privilege of cruising, then you accept the risks of missing ports or having ports changed....

 

IF you do not want to assume that risk, then ... you won't cruise.

[somefunsuntime]

Although this will not ease your pain, at least you get the same ports minus Grnd Turks. (not much there anyway!) We sailed w/DH, who never can get away, last Aug. for a delightful Eastern itinerary. We sailed the weekend of the hurricane (Remember Rep. Nat'l convention-Black Panther threats & Hurricane!) stood 6 hrs in line at port from 4:30PM (and we are VIP!) with irate people, tired, cold, cement floors and nothing to eat since breakfast, port bathrooms a dissaster! (Even the Riot squad was called to the outside lines we found out later while inside was also brewing) That after having to stay an extra night at the hotel with storms both days. We did not get to ANY of the ports in fact we ended up going Western and Cozumel (did I say I hate Cozumel?) We lost our excursions booked for my husband to enjoy, got reimbursed though.

 

The cruise just before that we had another Hurricane/Storm mess and rerouted 6 or 9 times (I think) while at sea and ended up, yep Cozumel!!!

 

So as they say s... happens and it happens on all the lines!

 

I hope it all works out for you!! We are checking often as we sail on the Breeze next Sat. 3/30 We have booked some really good excursions! Praying! Make sure your excursions reimburse if you do not make the ports when bkg outside of Carnival/ships in gen. Arrival time chgs you'll need to enquire their position on that.

[RMcoolX]

"Betcha" they don't care. :mad:

 

I'm sure they care, but business is business. For those of us that cruise a lot, it is bound to happen eventually...no matter the cruise line.

 

I feel bad for the OP, and hopefully all else goes well for them on the rest of the cruise adventure. :)

[somefunsuntime]

LHP Good for you , you def. have the right attitude. They say it's not attitude it's latitude, the ability to rise above it all!

 

Glad you and your family have "Diamonds" of sailing fun together! Being a boater and growing up on wknds at the lake, there's nothing better than the water and sunshine!

 

Good sailing to you all! ;)