Carnival very unaccomodating to pre-night stay over guests

[golfgurl]

My b/f and I are going on our first cruise in 10 days and we're just now getting all the 'transfers' figured out with our travel agent..apparently our travel agent was given incorrect info back in July when she inquired about them and she had to call them today for me for a question I had and ended finding out that what they said about transfers was not true. We're going down to Miami a day early and booked everything through Carnival. So here we are going to be putting money into the local economy and Carnival is more accomodating to people who fly down the day of the cruise. In order to go from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port we'd have to pay an extra $75 a person in transfers to Carnival!! Even my travel agent thought it was ridiculous and told Carnival so over the phone. My b/f was really annoyed and thought for the $3000 we have paid for this trip that something needs to be done for this inconvenience whether its Carnival or our travel agency. Even the "port" hotel we're staying at, which is a mile from the port,come to find out, doesn't provide any shuttle service. I know this isn't a huge ordeal and in the end we'd be forking over an extra $40-$50 in transportation and gratuity...but really...for all this money...Carnival couldn't customize our trip by two lousy transfer tickets? Anyone else ever run into this?

[funinthsun]

no, never did, but a cab to the port is very inexpensive. (less than the shuttles, etc) I think around $20.00. Hope you get it resolved and have a great cruise.

[funinthsun]

no, never did, but a cab to the port is very inexpensive. (less than the shuttles, etc) I think around $20.00. Hope you get it resolved and have a great cruise.

[LornaT]

Question ? Who booked the Hotel ? You, TA or Carnival ?

If Carnival did it they usually put you in a hotel that you can do an early check-in at and they provide a shuttle or bus to the pier, but that is usually a service for West to East coast cruising.

If you or your TA booked your hotel, Carnival doesn't have to do anything to help you get to the pier. Suggest then you find out about getting a ride (hotel shuttle maybe) back to the airport and then get on the Carnival shuttle/bus being provided for folks flying in that day.

[Sablerose]

Wow. That does seem excessive.

 

When I was initially booking our cruise out of Galveston, we were told that transfers between Houston and Galveston would be $66 per person, round-trip.

 

That seems weird that within Miami it'd be $75pp for a trip a couple of miles to the port... but it's possible that since they'd have to make a "special trip" instead of a group bus from the airport, that maybe that would be why.

 

I don't know, definitely stinks. But I bet you can get a cab for much cheaper than that, if you're only going a couple of miles. Good luck!

[yst347]

Cancel the Carnival transfers and take a cab. Cabs are cheaper in Miami than the transfer and much more convenient.

 

The cab from Miami International airport to downtown should be about 20 dollars for the two of you. A cab from a downtown hotel to the port should be less than 10 dollars for both of you.

[golfgurl]

Our travel agent suggested one of two hotels in the Miami port area and Carnival booked us the one we chose and we have a hotel ticket in our Carnival packet but the transfers they printed for us for our packet ignore the fact that we're coming a night early...they are for going from the airport straight to the port. We're traveling from Massachusetts so obviously I guess we'd be excluded from those West to East deals that Carnival has. In the end it is cheaper for us figuring out our own transportation but you'd think that we'd at least get some transportation by Carnival from hotel to port. I guess we just got a bit stressed by this since we're from a small town and public transportation is not a regular thing for us. Thanks for the input!

[GottaLuvCruising]

If you booked your airfare with Carnival, the two way transfers are included. If you added a pre-night to the package with airfare, it would include the three-way transfers (airport to hotel to cruise ship to airport). If, however, you booked only the cruise and hotel (but not air), the package should still include one transfer - from the hotel to the pier.

 

In Miami, I'd definitely use a cab rather than transfers (if they are not included). Also check with your hotel to see if they offer a shuttle from the airport.

 

So sorry you've had all these frustrations and I hope you are able to work with the situation and have a great time!

[JOEZ]

From the port to the airport is $23. So the hotel would be alot closer than that.. We had a limo reserved last week and they stood us up... Limo for $120.. End up with only paying $23 when we had to take a taxi. Glad we did now.. Will NEVER do that again.. Taxi all the way.. It's $23 for the taxi.. 1 person or 4 (or 5 if you have a van). Not $23 per person.

[golfgurl]

We booked air and hotel through Carnival and the only transfers we got were airport to port and port to airport. Maybe it was a mistake on Carnivals part if 3 way transfers are supposed to be included but at this point Carnival is telling our TA that if we want these 3 way transfers it'll be $75 per person. We're waiting to hear back from TA to see what she finds out from Carnival.

[cruisecastle]

My b/f and I are going on our first cruise in 10 days and we're just now getting all the 'transfers' figured out with our travel agent..apparently our travel agent was given incorrect info back in July when she inquired about them and she had to call them today for me for a question I had and ended finding out that what they said about transfers was not true. We're going down to Miami a day early and booked everything through Carnival. So here we are going to be putting money into the local economy and Carnival is more accomodating to people who fly down the day of the cruise. In order to go from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port we'd have to pay an extra $75 a person in transfers to Carnival!! Even my travel agent thought it was ridiculous and told Carnival so over the phone. My b/f was really annoyed and thought for the $3000 we have paid for this trip that something needs to be done for this inconvenience whether its Carnival or our travel agency. Even the "port" hotel we're staying at, which is a mile from the port,come to find out, doesn't provide any shuttle service. I know this isn't a huge ordeal and in the end we'd be forking over an extra $40-$50 in transportation and gratuity...but really...for all this money...Carnival couldn't customize our trip by two lousy transfer tickets? Anyone else ever run into this?

 

 

Sounds like your travel agent is a liar! Transfers are inlcuded in the airfare hotel packages. Have been since I first went in 1983.

[jlforester]

When we sailed the Glory 2 years ago, we went down to Orlando a day early (hotel booked through TA, air booked through Carnival). We took the hotel's shuttle from the airport to the hotel, and the next morning, rode the hotel's shuttle back to the airport to transfer on to Port Canaveral.

 

On our upcoming Liberty cruise, we booked everything, including our pre-night hotel, through Carnival. The hotel we're staying at is within sight of the pier. We also paid for transfers. We'll report on what transpires after we return.

 

It doesn't appear that the pre-night thing is just for west-east travellers. We're coming from the north a day early simply because it's SO much less stressful than arriving the day of the cruise.

[trishalee]

The cab will be way cheaper, but, mainly, you'll leave and arrive at YOUR convenience in a cab. With their transfers, you'll be sitting around on a warm bus waiting for it to fill up, sometimes for an extended period. Last cruise, we had paid for the transfers but took a cab instead for that reason.:eek:

[Bunkie103]

Something's not quite right here. We booked our pre-night stay thru Carnival in 2003. We flew in the day before, used Carnival transfers to the hotel from the airport (booked our own flights). When I look at the documents the total for the hotel (Marina Marriott) and transfers from the airport to the hotel, to the port from the hotel AND from the port to the airport on return, the total is only $192.

 

Your return to the airport from the port can be purchased at the Pursers desk before returning to Miami. There is also an airport shuttle which might be a better deal for you. One of the drawbacks of the Carnival transfers is that you usually have to wait for the bus to fill up.

 

Don't get flustered, you'll figure it out! Don't forget to have a good trip!

[RICKO]

If you booked your cruise/air and pre-package hotel through carnival then the transfers are included. If your TA booked them seperately then they are a seperate charge. Thats why I use a carnival pvp and not a TA You cut out the middle man and deal directly with carnival seems harsh but it works with carnival. Don't let this little thing ruin your cruise, just a little bump in the road. Have a great time

[sgriff17]

have the hotel call you a cab...get your money back for the transfer.

[cjcruiser27]

Hello LornaT! I see that you have done the Hawaii to Vancover cruise on the Spirit...Just wondering how it was because I plan to do it this April '06. (Especially w/5 days at sea in a row) Thanks..

[coolestwife]

golfgurl,

I just e-mailed my TA this exact question to see what she said and asked her to call Carnival herself to see what they say. Hopefully she will get back with me today or tomorrow and I'll let you guys know....

[golfgurl]

Thanks everyone for being so helpful! This is definitely just a bump in the road...can't wait for the beautiful beaches and the fruity drinks!

[flyingb]

Hello LornaT! I see that you have done the Hawaii to Vancover cruise on the Spirit...Just wondering how it was because I plan to do it this April '06. (Especially w/5 days at sea in a row) Thanks..

 

 

Did the Hawaii to Vancouver in '99. It was wonderful. :D If we go again we will fly in one day prior to cruising. It was a long day as we live on the East coast. This way you can see a little of Honolulu. On each island we rented a car and saw everything we wanted to see, just hubby and me. The sea days are his favorite so we were both happy.:) Go for it and have a wonderful time. Our trip was twelve days, how about yours?

Luv's Crusin'

[JudyOh]

I have been a TA for 12 years, and any pre hotel pkg booked thru the cruiseline along with air thru the cruiseline received transfers from airport to hotel, hotel to pier, pier to airport. Also, I have never heard of transfers being $75.

 

Page 106 of the Carnival brochure reads: "Extend your fun with a pre- or post-cruise vacation. These value-priced vacations include hotel accommodations, room tax and choice between roundtrip transfers to the airport, hotel and pier or rental car with unlimited mileage.

 

Someone is wrong somewhere. Check with TA and tell them to call Carnival again and see what the problem is.

[golfgurl]

THANKS JUDY0 for bringing that to my attention...I just read every last word on that page...somebody somewhere overlooked something on our transfers.

[GottaLuvCruising]

golfgurl,

 

Since you booked your air & hotel through Carnival, your transfers are included. Your TA needs to pursue this with the cruise line.

 

Good luck! Let us know how it is resolved.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Our travel agent suggested one of two hotels in the Miami port area and Carnival booked us the one we chose and we have a hotel ticket in our Carnival packet but the transfers they printed for us for our packet ignore the fact that we're coming a night early...they are for going from the airport straight to the port. We're traveling from Massachusetts so obviously I guess we'd be excluded from those West to East deals that Carnival has. In the end it is cheaper for us figuring out our own transportation but you'd think that we'd at least get some transportation by Carnival from hotel to port. I guess we just got a bit stressed by this since we're from a small town and public transportation is not a regular thing for us. Thanks for the input!

 

Had my daughter on a Royal Caribbean cruise a week ago. She flew in a day early and had transportation to the ship. She had to go back to the airport the day of the cruise and get the bus. It's not just Carnival.

 

Bill

[Margie1983us]

We were going to use the carnival transfer on our last cruise but after checking out Cruise Critic, we canceled it and took our own. We flew down a day early, some hotels have free tranfer from airport to hotel but not from hotel to port. Where we stayed had neither so are trip from downtown hotel to the port was $5 pp. Do it on your own and then pocket the money you will save to spend drinking foo foo drinks on the beach. "Doing it on your own" also means going outside and catching a cab and not waiting at the airport for your transfer to arrive. IF its just the two of you, you can probably just get a regular cab anyways so thats cheaper yet. Have a great vacation.