Sensation - July 16 departure - NO ports

[luv2cruise123]

I have friends on this sailing returning tomorrow. According to Carnival they gave a $25 PP credit at first due to no stop in Cozumel. They got a letter stating this when they got onboard.Then they later cancelled Cozumel. They couldn't tell me of any other reimbursements made or if they would be reunded their port charges.

 

Has anyone ever been on a cruise that ended up a cruise to nowhere and if so, did you receive any compensation? Just wondering. I know they will be quite disappointed, but I also am aware that Carnival has no control over hurricanes.

[luv2cruise123]

92 hits and no one has ever encountered this?

[Delpha]

I'm curious myself. :confused:

[PhoenixCruiser]

I have friends on this sailing returning tomorrow. According to Carnival they gave a $25 PP credit at first due to no stop in Cozumel. They got a letter stating this when they got onboard.Then they later cancelled Cozumel. They couldn't tell me of any other reimbursements made or if they would be reunded their port charges.

 

Has anyone ever been on a cruise that ended up a cruise to nowhere and if so, did you receive any compensation? Just wondering. I know they will be quite disappointed, but I also am aware that Carnival has no control over hurricanes.

 

Hmmmmm, everyone is looking for compensation these days....

 

How about the passengers taking responsibility when booking a cruise during hurricane season :confused:

 

 

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[sea_u_onboard]

This is from Cruise News Daily - http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/.

 

* Not Left High and Dry

July 19 - Yesterday, we told subscribers about passengers aboard two Carnival ships, Ecstasy and Sensation, which left last weekend on 5-day cruises. Due to the path of Hurricane Emily, both were rescheduled to call at Cozumel today. After the storm passed through the Yucatan port, reports of the damage assessment and the time likely for cleanup at the area's attractions caused Carnival to decide there wouldn't be enough for the passengers to do, and they would be better off aboard ship.

Of course that means the Ecstasy's and Sensation's passengers will have been on a 5-day cruise to nowhere. Carnival tells us today, that wasn't the end of their story. Since they ended up not getting to call anywhere, Carnival is giving all the passengers 50% off on a future 3-to-5-day cruise and a $50 per person onboard credit.

Continued storm cleanup from Emily at various ports has also resulted in three more itinerary changes.

[zydecocruiser]

Hmmmmm, everyone is looking for compensation these days....

 

How about the passengers taking responsibility when booking a cruise during hurricane season :confused:

 

 

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Sounds like blame the victim for the crime to me :confused:

[Legend]

If they had gone ahead and docked in Cozme,l which was without power after the storm, there would of been complaints about that too. I'm sure it's going to end up a case of 'damned if you do and damned if you don't' for Carnival. They never seem to win do they and they never will until they can figure out how to make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time!!

Such a shame this world has become so unhappy and so ungrateful.

[corina27]

The biggest problem with missing ports is everyone wants thier port fees refunded to them and its really not that much money...:(

[zydecocruiser]

I think Carnival typically credits $25 for each port missed. If Carnival announces in advance (as in until you embark) they are changing the itinerary, I believe you can cancel wtihout penalty and have your cruise payment, including port charges, refunded.

 

The biggest problem I would have with missed ports is that I would probably lose more in the casino than the port charges, which they don't refund anyway, which seem to average about double what Carnival gives you in credit.

 

Don't think I've ever missed a port - do recall one time the water was too rough at St Maarten so we went to St Barts instead! A much better deal. :D

[lil nemo]

I think Carnival typically credits $25 for each port missed. If Carnival announces in advance (as in until you embark) they are changing the itinerary, I believe you can cancel wtihout penalty and have your cruise payment, including port charges, refunded.

 

The biggest problem I would have with missed ports is that I would probably lose more in the casino than the port charges, which they don't refund anyway, which seem to average about double what Carnival gives you in credit.

 

Don't think I've ever missed a port - do recall one time the water was too rough at St Maarten so we went to St Barts instead! A much better deal. :D

 

 

why is it they can't subsitute a port instead of cancelling a port stop??

 

i can see when your ontop of a weather issue, and there's no advance knowledge, but in this case they know, isn't there another port that they could stop at????

 

I'm sure it's politicAL OR SOMETHING?

i'M HAVING A HARD time figuring out why they aren't better repaired for the port misses after all they encounter it regularily. Why must I be flexible, why don't they have a plan?

[zydecocruiser]

why is it they can't subsitute a port instead of cancelling a port stop??

 

i can see when your ontop of a weather issue, and there's no advance knowledge, but in this case they know, isn't there another port that they could stop at????

 

I'm sure it's politicAL OR SOMETHING?

i'M HAVING A HARD time figuring out why they aren't better repaired for the port misses after all they encounter it regularily. Why must I be flexible, why don't they have a plan?

 

Cause there is a mismatch between the number of ports and the number of ships these days. Ships are being built faster that ports are. On good days, things work, but there isn't much, if any, in reserve for bad ones.

 

Adding additional piers at existing ports is no good, because the land facitilities are at capacity. Long term solution is build new ports in new areas. And then selling the new ports to passengers is always a fun hurdle...

[lil nemo]

Cause there is a mismatch between the number of ports and the number of ships these days. Ships are being built faster that ports are. On good days, things work, but there isn't much, if any, in reserve for bad ones.

 

Adding additional piers at existing ports is no good, because the land facitilities are at capacity. Long term solution is build new ports in new areas. And then selling the new ports to passengers is always a fun hurdle...

 

ok then how about staying longer at the next port? when a port is missed for various reasons you literally crawl to the next destination. so why not port up early there's never anyone there over night. what i couldn't do with several extra hours at my next port.

[zydecocruiser]

ok then how about staying longer at the next port? when a port is missed for various reasons you literally crawl to the next destination. so why not port up early there's never anyone there over night. what i couldn't do with several extra hours at my next port.

 

Sometimes they do. But it takes a lot of international coordination with lots of red tape. It's not just a matter of getting to the port early. All the infrastructure that supports the ship from dock workers, taxi drivers, etc. has to be in place (as in awake) as well.

 

When cruise ships aren't in port, many ports are basically shutdown - shops closed etc. Years ago, when my cruise ship was diverted to a port that wasn't expecting us, they were literally running around trying to open things up as we were coming ashore. With the megaships of today, I'm not sure that would be possible.

[GoinCruisin]

ok then how about staying longer at the next port? when a port is missed for various reasons you literally crawl to the next destination. so why not port up early there's never anyone there over night. what i couldn't do with several extra hours at my next port.

 

Ships pay for the length of time they are at a port... due to other ships coming in, the time the port closes, etc... it's just not so simple to say "just stay longer", they probably would if they could... sometimes these are not issues that are in the cruiselines control... and in the case of the two ships listed here, since their ONE port was cancelled... where would they stay longer??

[JudyKa]

Ships pay for the length of time they are at a port... due to other ships coming in, the time the port closes, etc... it's just not so simple to say "just stay longer", they probably would if they could... sometimes these are not issues that are in the cruiselines control... and in the case of the two ships listed here, since their ONE port was cancelled... where would they stay longer??

 

Our TWO ports were cancelled; BUT nothing could be done about that really. I am satisfied that our cruise captain was thinking of our safety and his crew's safety. They did credit us $50 and with 50% off of our next cruise which I think is plenty o.k. with us. We enjoyed our "cruise to nowhere"; but was ready to get back on solid ground by the 5th day....LOL!

[yogimax]

Our TWO ports were cancelled; BUT nothing could be done about that really. I am satisfied that our cruise captain was thinking of our safety and his crew's safety. They did credit us $50 and with 50% off of our next cruise which I think is plenty o.k. with us. We enjoyed our "cruise to nowhere"; but was ready to get back on solid ground by the 5th day....LOL!

 

Sounds like a fine settlement. Did the 50% off come with any restrictions? For example, cabin size, length of trip? Just curious!

[bevo]

Yep- I was wondering if that 50% off a future cruise is off the lowest price you can get or is it brochure price? I don't have a credit for a future cruise, and hopefully will never get one, but I was just wondering...

[luv2cruise123]

I also wonder what the "restrictions" might be on that?

 

Port charges for this cruise were over $100 per person I think. Haven't talked yet to my friends since their return. Hope they were statisfied with Carnival. It really was out of their control. I'm very glad they compensated everyone. No one as one poster said will ever be happy all the time no matter what Carnival does.

[JudyKa]

We were on this 7/16 Sensation cruise; and this is quoted directly from the captain's letter: "50% discount on a future 3 to 5 day Carnival cruise departing prior to December 15, 2006 (excluding New Year's cruises). This discount will apply to the cruise fare, but excludes government taxes/fees and optional air transportation. This offer is non-transferable."

 

All this suits us just fine...as we don't fly and don't want a longer cruise anyway...AND we won't cruise during New Years....AND will use it around February. I don't see any other restrictions yet. I'm NOT going to be pessimistic about this offer.....we look forward to using it in February. There were 3 of us and we got $50 shipboard credit each which helped out tremendously.

 

We enjoyed this cruise regardless of what Hurricane Emily created. We are still going to enjoy sailing with Carnival in the future and will not sit around and stew over every little extra penny or benefit that we can scrape up from Carnival. We feel more than satisfied with what credits Carnival has given us.

[Starz723]

FYI...Carnival gave me a 25% off next cruise for a mishap and I had to use it within a 18 month time limit and for the same ship and the same exact Category.

[bevo]

JudyKa- I agree....In the case of a hurricane,(or any weather event,for that matter)...I don't feel any cruise line is obligated to give you anything at all. For them to give you a $$ credit AND 50% off your next cruise is a DEAL. I would love the cruise to nowhere anyway, myself....

[Kittymama]

why is it they can't subsitute a port instead of cancelling a port stop??

 

i can see when your ontop of a weather issue, and there's no advance knowledge, but in this case they know, isn't there another port that they could stop at????

 

I'm sure it's politicAL OR SOMETHING?

i'M HAVING A HARD time figuring out why they aren't better repaired for the port misses after all they encounter it regularily. Why must I be flexible, why don't they have a plan?

Have you looked at a map of that region lately? For one thing, if a large hurricane hits that part of the Caribbean (in this case, the Yucatan peninsula), it's a pretty good bet that other potential ports in that area have also been damaged. You may recall there's this country called Cuba that is sort of in the middle of everything, which makes it pretty difficult for the ships to just wander back & forth across the Caribbean. They have to go either eastward or westward & commit. This particular storm, if you paid attention, affected virtually every port on that side of the Caribbean where the ship was sailing. There's also the minor detail that each port is in an individual country--they're not Carnival's little playstops to pull in when they feel like it. There are minor things to consider like whether the country involved will allow the ships, what port(s) are big enough to handle the cruise ship, how many ships they can handle, political stability of the country, whether Carnival has any familiarity with that port at all (do you really want them just pulling in to a port they know nothing about?). Plus, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Disney, & other lines also had ships looking for ports, so there just plain isn't enough space. This is not an interstate where you just pull in to whatever rest stop you feel like & they all have similar facilities. You're talking about the Caribbean basin, with dozens of individual countries & ports. Geez, not everything is rotten ol' Carnival's fault! You don't have to be flexible--just use common sense. Storms happen. There are a finite number of ports in the Caribbean. Ships realistically can only travel at a certain speed--which further limits the number of ports available to them. There are multiple cruise lines wanting the same ports--& when a storm happens, they ALL want the same ports at the same time. Logic just plain says it ain't gonna happen.

 

Frankly, I'd rather have 5 days at sea. How lovely! Sea days are my favorite anyway.

[Kittymama]

Sounds like blame the victim for the crime to me :confused:

Noone is blaming anyone. And--crime? Who committed the crime?

 

All that's being said is that if you book a cruise during hurricane season, it's entirely possible there could be a hurricane. Just like if you live in a cold-weather area & book a cruise during winter, it's entirely possible there could be snow that shuts down cold-weather airports. How does that then become Carnival's fault (or any cruise line's fault)? It's noone's fault. Noone controls nature. People who book during hurricane season need to understand the possibilities & realize there may be problems if one hits. You may not get your ports, the ships may not be able to sail in/out of their home port, flights may be affected, etc. There's such a need today to blame someone if everything doesn't go perfectly. A lot of things are noone's fault but are simply out of any human's control. The cruiselines really don't want to inconvenience passengers & have to give refunds & listen to people b****. They do the best they can in a tough situation. If you know anyone who can exactly predict, far in advance, the exact path of a hurricane so that ships can be rerouted several weeks ahead--please feel free to bring them to the cruiseline's attention, because that person is guaranteed to become a multi-millionaire immediately. The lines would hire him/her on the spot. (But the sad thing is that there still would be complaints from people who would be unhappy with the rescheduled ports!) Since no such magical person exists yet, the reality is that confusion will happen whenever hurricanes hit but the lines will try their best to take care of their passengers & keep them happy.

[Badcruise]

I was on the "cruise to nowhere" aboard the Sensation. I understand that I booked a cruise during hurricane season and I am not looking for any refund or other credit. I am angry that some crew members on the boat told us from the beginning that we were not going to a port, but the captain keep announcing that we were in route to Cozumel and would arrive on time. This was done well after the hurricane had already passed Cozumel. It was not until 12 hours before we were to dock that we were told we were not going to port. On Wednesday I was told by a senior officer that when we left New Orleans there was never any intention of going to port by they did not want to make people mad by telling them this. Although there was mention of 50% off a future cruise nobody onboard was willing to share any information. The entire cruise was a terrible experience for everyone I talked with. Many, including myself, said they would never cruise with Carnival again due to the constant mis-truths.

[JudyKa]

<<The entire cruise was a terrible experience for everyone I talked with.>>

 

You didn't talk with me......sorry.... Naturally, we were dissappointed about not going to ports. BUT....there was absolutely nothing we could have done about it at the moment, was there? My family made the best out of a mildly dissappointing situation. It was not the "end-all" to our cruise and definitely not worth loosing our cool and embarrassing ourselves about. We sailed on a well-kept ship with a wonderful hard-working staff.....that was enough for us to enjoy ourselves considering the situation. I think Carnival has done enough toward making up for the no-ports situation with 50% discount. I WILL sail Carnival again.