cruise paid off so i call to add tips for 3 people...BUT PROBLEMS..

[Susiecruisey]

Is it possible the port taxes and fees have gone up?

 

If no one can explain it you need to call and go higher up the food chain.... It's unacceptable that they expect that much more money from you without being able to explain it. Did someone accidentally bump you up in cabin category?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

We are still in the same cabin. And why would port fees go up $268

[MsTabbyKats]

Make a list of the cost of the cruise...and your payments....including the service charges.

 

Speak to a supervisor and ask him/her to explain what's going on.

[welldone60]

:eek: This is really scary! Maybe when adding the tips the agent changed your rate code to a current (more expensive) one?

 

Call everyone, have them talk to their booking engine people to resolve this. Have you spoken to Guest Resolutions already???

 

 

I would bet this is what happened, raise he!! till they change it back.

[n6uqqq]

It is much easier to just let the tips be added automatically to your sail and sign account. Every time Carnival is contacted to do something regarding a room/payment gives Carnival a chance to foul things up. Hold onto your hard earned money and put it in a jar if need be, then you will have it when your cruise is at hand.

[2013LibertyCruiser]

Why would you need to call and add the tips? I thought they were added unless you remove them...

[larkz]

Why would you need to call and add the tips? I thought they were added unless you remove them...

 

You can prepay the tips before boarding (versus "autopay" where they are applied to your Sign and Sail account). I do this just to make sure that my card has zero to none transactions on it. I don't spend anything on the ship other than buying a Bottomless Bubbles sticker. Usually, the best way to prepay is checking the appropriate box when initially booking the cruise on the website.

 

Two lessons here: First, as others have mentioned, any transactions in which you call Carnival reps to adjust your account have the potential to stir up hornets' nests of danger (many of these phone reps are drop dead morons who are as likely to tell you the wrong thing as the right thing). Second, take frequent screen shots of your account and assume that one of the aforementioned morons will botch the whole thing up. You can paste your screen shots into a Word or Works document and simply save it, or output them as JPEGs, or print them, but make sure you keep records.

[BananaAnna]

:eek: This is really scary! Maybe when adding the tips the agent changed your rate code to a current (more expensive) one?

 

Call everyone, have them talk to their booking engine people to resolve this. Have you spoken to Guest Resolutions already???

 

This was my guess as well - that somehow the cruise fare got switched to a current rate.

Might be worth it to look at Carnival website and compare current rates to what they are saying your overall cost is. Like, take the current fare, add gratuity, subtract what you feel was owed (what has been paid to date) and see if perchance the difference is the amount they now say you owe.

Edited November 19, 2013 by BananaAnna

[vwrestler171]

Im curious to see what happened

[Wanna_Cruize]

I was thinking of going in and pre-paying our tips for our cruise next week on a separate credit card from the one I'm going to use for our S&S acct. Now I think I'll just buy some Cruise Cash with that other card (and print out appropriate documentation of course!)

[girlscruise2011]

I use a Carnival PVP and have her add the tips on and have never had an issue. If so, she always gets things settled for me. I know I can go through the 800# to book but I enjoy dealing with the same person and not whoever picks up the phone when you call.

 

OP, if you booked directly through Carnival, try to see if you can get your own PVP and have them help you sort this out. I think you can do that. Then you now have someone to book your cruises for you in the future if you decide to cruise again.

[Susiecruisey]

I am still waiting on an answer they are supposed to call me back today but as of this morning te website still says I owe the higher amount.

[Georgiagolfer]

Just another reason to try and make changes to an upcoming (booked) cruise with the Carnival site. Either prepay tips when booking, or wait and let them be added to your sign & sail card.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I am still waiting on an answer they are supposed to call me back today but as of this morning te website still says I owe the higher amount.

 

Please come back and tell us what happened. That' is just extremely bad customer service.

[jks336]

I was thinking of going in and pre-paying our tips for our cruise next week on a separate credit card from the one I'm going to use for our S&S acct. Now I think I'll just buy some Cruise Cash with that other card (and print out appropriate documentation of course!)

 

We always prepay our gratuities when we book the cruise. See'ing this OPS problems, i'm glad we do. I as well like to have as much of my cruise paid in advance this is why we add them in.

 

To the OP. if you haven't yet, go over to Carnival and go to Looking for carnival assistance and get Mary or Mischelle to look into this for you. they will ask you to forward information to them, but if you can not get through to carnival on the phone, I would say this is a good way to try as well.

[jks336]

I use a Carnival PVP and have her add the tips on and have never had an issue. If so, she always gets things settled for me. I know I can go through the 800# to book but I enjoy dealing with the same person and not whoever picks up the phone when you call.

 

OP, if you booked directly through Carnival, try to see if you can get your own PVP and have them help you sort this out. I think you can do that. Then you now have someone to book your cruises for you in the future if you decide to cruise again.

 

I as well have used the same PVP. I like dealing with the same person too lol. like calling up and having her pull up my info and say ok, whos going on this one.

[hancogran]

Hope you get it resolved! I was going to call and prepay our tips before we get on the ship but I think I'll just wait, after reading what happened to you. :confused:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I use a Carnival PVP and have her add the tips on and have never had an issue. If so, she always gets things settled for me. I know I can go through the 800# to book but I enjoy dealing with the same person and not whoever picks up the phone when you call.

 

OP, if you booked directly through Carnival, try to see if you can get your own PVP and have them help you sort this out. I think you can do that. Then you now have someone to book your cruises for you in the future if you decide to cruise again.

 

My son tried this approach.

 

The guy blew him off and wouldn't do a thing to help him. Just told him to call the main number.

 

I can understand that, since he isn't getting paid a dime for fixing the problem, and he could be using his time to get his client list to book another cruise.

 

Bill

[Lisa0719]

I would write an email with the documentation and send it to guestadmin@carnival.com or guestsolutionssupport@carnival.com . . .

[girlscruise2011]

My son tried this approach.

 

The guy blew him off and wouldn't do a thing to help him. Just told him to call the main number.

 

I can understand that, since he isn't getting paid a dime for fixing the problem, and he could be using his time to get his client list to book another cruise.

 

Bill

 

Really? I'm surprised since that is how I found my current PVP. I was having an issue with my cruise being chartered twice on me. I originally booked directly with the Carnival 800#. I got her name from the Carnival Forums and she was very helpful to me. 6 cruises later, I'm still booking with her. She's fantastic.

 

That guy potentially lost out on a lot of business by blowing him off.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Really? I'm surprised since that is how I found my current PVP. I was having an issue with my cruise being chartered twice on me. I originally booked directly with the Carnival 800#. I got her name from the Carnival Forums and she was very helpful to me. 6 cruises later, I'm still booking with her. She's fantastic.

 

That guy potentially lost out on a lot of business by blowing him off.

 

That's the way I think as well but not everybody does. The guy was pretty rude, according to my son and my son even contacted CCL to report him.

 

I'm glad you are happy with your PVP. She sounds like a keeper.:)

 

Bill

[rs12065]

I added prepaid gratuities on four bookings for the 12/29 sailing of the Valor. Got email confirmation that all 4 cabins were credited with payment of gratuities yet when I go to Manage My Account on Carnivals website only 2 of the 4 bookings indicate prepaid gratuities. Called Carnival today to inquire about it and was told all 4 bookings were credited with payment and another confirming e mail was sent to me. I will just make sure I print out the emails and bring it with me on the cruise

[alreadypacked]

My son tried this approach.

 

The guy blew him off and wouldn't do a thing to help him. Just told him to call the main number.

 

I can understand that, since he isn't getting paid a dime for fixing the problem, and he could be using his time to get his client list to book another cruise.

 

Bill

 

PVP's are supposed to concentrate on making new bookings. If you are already booked and need to make changes to your booking, Carnival wants you to go through customer service. From what I understand, PVP's can get into trouble for servicing an existing booking. Carnival wants PVP's to sell cruises. Period.

[ready2cruzagain]

Really? I'm surprised since that is how I found my current PVP. I was having an issue with my cruise being chartered twice on me. I originally booked directly with the Carnival 800#. I got her name from the Carnival Forums and she was very helpful to me. 6 cruises later, I'm still booking with her. She's fantastic.

 

That guy potentially lost out on a lot of business by blowing him off.

I agree with SS Oceanlover. If I am reading your post correctly, you had 2 of your cruises chartered, therefore you contacted a PVP. If both of the cruises were chartered then the PVP was actually having to book another cruise for you (your 2 cruises were cancelled) and she was making a commission.

 

Am I correct? Did the PVP actually get you booked on another cruise? Not that you had to pay more money, just that she booked you on another ship. If so, she was getting a commission.

[RuthlessBoss]

I am still waiting on an answer they are supposed to call me back today but as of this morning te website still says I owe the higher amount.

We're anxiously awaiting a good outcome too.:)

[mickide]

PVP's are supposed to concentrate on making new bookings. If you are already booked and need to make changes to your booking, Carnival wants you to go through customer service. From what I understand, PVP's can get into trouble for servicing an existing booking. Carnival wants PVP's to sell cruises. Period.

 

Then I must have an exceptional PVP. He has never told me to call the customer service number. If I've had a question or issue even after booking, he helps me!

OP hoping that this all gets fixed for you soon!