Cruise almost cancelled

[seamusdad]

It hasn't changed, you still have to call.

Thank you. I knew you could always add them at booking but once you paid even a deposit and had a confirmation number, you had to call to add them prior to cruising

With all the new changes on Carnival's website, I was questioning if my original statement was correct.

 

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[frayedend]

That's not true. The OP claimed that that they did not add prepaid gratuities to their account. The OP implies that someone else did it. All we have to go on is the claims made and our own experience using the systems. I cannot tell you how many times I inadvertently switched our November reservation from king bed to two doubles, how many times I inadvertently changed our dining selection, and how many times I inadvertently added prepaid gratuities. At least once I clicked Add to see how much it would cost, and I can readily see how someone might assume that if they don't click "Save" then it won't actually add it to the bill. (That's not the case; there is no "Save". Changes are saved immediately: The Add link does exactly what it says: It Adds prepaid gratuities, thereby requiring me to click Remove to re-remove it.) The likelihood that some unidentified person went into the OP's record and added the prepaid gratuities has to be weighed against our own experience making such mistakes, ourselves, over and over again.

 

PS: It is so easy to make such mistakes that I took this as a reminder to check my booking again to make sure that my record is correct at this time.

 

This is not true. I'm staring at the Add link in the other window of my browser. You can change that setting online, until final payment date.

 

That is another setting that I have found is remarkably easy to inadvertently change.

 

 

So here is my problem with the posts saying there is more to the story. The OP said she did not add them. Maybe she didn't and there was a glitch. Maybe she inadvertantly added them by mistake. Does it really matter? Do people really need to be critical of how they got added? The point the OP was making was to pay attention to your booking because sometimes things may happen that we can miss. So regardless of how it happened the OP was trying to do people a favor and it really doesn't matter how it happened.

[tonit964]

So here is my problem with the posts saying there is more to the story. The OP said she did not add them. Maybe she didn't and there was a glitch. Maybe she inadvertantly added them by mistake. Does it really matter? Do people really need to be critical of how they got added? The point the OP was making was to pay attention to your booking because sometimes things may happen that we can miss. So regardless of how it happened the OP was trying to do people a favor and it really doesn't matter how it happened.

 

It's not that anyone is being critical. The point I'm making is that Carnival does not cancel your cruise 3 weeks before sailing because gratuities were not paid. Even if it was marked to pay them, it's not going to cancel, It just does not happen. You have to call carnival and they take the credit card payment at that time over the phone, I've done it before.

 

Something else happened with the TA and the booking.

[crusinsusan]

I am OP. I did not go on the CCL site. My cruise was paid off in May. I was only telling my story to make people aware of what happened to me. I am not lying but repeating what my PVP told me. Will not be posting again as I don't need negative remarks when I thought I was helping.

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, you can add them after paying your deposit! I just did it on Sunday when I paid off my next cruise. I had thought I had added them when I booked, but the balance due didn't show them. When I went in to pay the balance, there was a box to add them and insurance.

 

Can you add them after you've made final payment? That I don't know since I have never tried.

[firemanbobswife]

I would appreciate it if the original poster would make clear what was actually the issue with their reservation.

 

I intend to pay for the gratuities with gift cards when I check in for my cruise. I do not intend to pay them in advance (unless I could pay for them with gift cards I have in hand right now and I was told every clearly I Carnival photograph that I should wait until I check in and submit those gift cards at that time).

 

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You can pay them ahead of time with your gift cards. I always add them in when I book and my cruise is paid for with gift cards. I like to get them out of the way.

[Drazil65]

I would be looking at the PVP as the one that added it (whether she had permission to do so or not), if that is how the OP originally booked then the PVP is the only one that can make adjustments etc....

[frayedend]

It's not that anyone is being critical. The point I'm making is that Carnival does not cancel your cruise 3 weeks before sailing because gratuities were not paid. Even if it was marked to pay them, it's not going to cancel, It just does not happen. You have to call carnival and they take the credit card payment at that time over the phone, I've done it before.

 

Something else happened with the TA and the booking.

 

 

The thing is the comments of "there's more to the story" are absolutely being critical. It's not even a slightly good attempt at being passive aggressive. And if pre-paid gratuities are included then they will indeed cancel for non-payment.

[tonit964]

The thing is the comments of "there's more to the story" are absolutely being critical. It's not even a slightly good attempt at being passive aggressive. And if pre-paid gratuities are included then they will indeed cancel for non-payment.

 

No, that's not correct. Pre paid gratuities are separate from the cruise fare, taxes and port charges. On most cruises, the final payment is due 75 days from sailing or if booked after that timeframe, then the total amount of the cruise is due otherwise the cruise will be cancelled.

 

The OP said 3 weeks before the cruise, which final payment was already made or it would have cancelled, the PVP said the cruise was going to be cancelled if the gratuities were not paid. That does not happen. Carnival will not cancel a cruise because the gratuities were not pre paid.

 

There is nothing to be critical or passive aggressive about, it's just misinformation.

Again, I'm not saying the OP is lying but I think they may have misunderstood something or the PVP lied to them.

[n6uqqq]

It hasn't changed, you still have to call.

 

No, you don't have to call! Added mine from website and have option to remove from website. See attached Pic.

[teknoge3k]

I would appreciate it if the original poster would make clear what was actually the issue with their reservation.

 

I intend to pay for the gratuities with gift cards when I check in for my cruise. I do not intend to pay them in advance (unless I could pay for them with gift cards I have in hand right now and I was told every clearly I Carnival photograph that I should wait until I check in and submit those gift cards at that time).

 

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We always add the gratuities in advance so it is added to my total cruise bill. Then I pay the entire thing with gift cards. Very simple.

[Bosrox]

So out of curiosity I actually asked Carnival today. Just had to call about another issue and inquired. Told her I was worried this could happen. Kind helpful Agent told me it wouldn't matter who (guest, PVP, travel agent) added the prepaid gratuities, that they would not cancel any cruise for the tips not being prepaid, no matter who added them and when/how. She assured me tips are not mandatory and that if you don't add them before your cruise, they are added when you are on the ship. And if you don't remove them, they are due at the end f the cruise. If you have chosen to prepay and don't prepay before cruise, they are just added when you board.

 

So, this OP has been lied to by her PVP.

[tonit964]

No, you don't have to call! Added mine from website and have option to remove from website. See attached Pic.

 

You're right, I stand corrected, good to know.

I had to go into the Pay Now tab and there is a box to check, and would be added to the final payment amount, however this is separate from the cruise fare and still would not cause a cruise to be cancelled 3 weeks before sailing.

[n6uqqq]

You're right, I stand corrected, good to know.

I had to go into the Pay Now tab and there is a box to check, and would be added to the final payment amount, however this is separate from the cruise fare and still would not cause a cruise to be cancelled 3 weeks before sailing.

 

I was glad to see they added the option so I would not need to call. I noticed this a few weeks ago. Since my cruise is so far off I added the gratuities to lock in the price.

[tonit964]

Thank you. I knew you could always add them at booking but once you paid even a deposit and had a confirmation number, you had to call to add them prior to cruising

With all the new changes on Carnival's website, I was questioning if my original statement was correct.

 

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You can pre pay online, you have to click the Pay Now tab in your booking and there will be a little box to check.

Thank you, n6uqqq for clarifying that. If you've made final payment, you need to call to prepay, which is what I did on my last cruise last November.

[tonit964]

I was glad to see they added the option so I would not need to call. I noticed this a few weeks ago. Since my cruise is so far off I added the gratuities to lock in the price.

 

Thank you for your info on that!

[jennas_mum]

Yes, you can add them after paying your deposit! I just did it on Sunday when I paid off my next cruise. I had thought I had added them when I booked, but the balance due didn't show them. When I went in to pay the balance, there was a box to add them and insurance.

 

Can you add them after you've made final payment? That I don't know since I have never tried.

 

 

Yes, you can pay them online after final payment. We cruise is less than 5 weeks and the option is there for me to pay them now. I usually pay mine when I book but this was last minute and I am waiting on more carnival gift cards!

[riclop]

We cruise in three weeks. Received a call from my PVP that gratuities were added but not paid for. If not paid my cruise would automatically be canceled. She removed them and notified me. I did not add gratuities and do not know why it was added. If not for the eyes of my great PVP, I could have lost my cruise, /Check your cruise details!

That is so much bull it's not funny.

[bUU]

The OP would not have access to make changes to their booking

Nonsense. A couple of us have already made clear that passengers can indeed make such changes themselves, and very easily do so (and done so!!) inadvertantly.

 

Do people really need to be critical of how they got added?

The OP raised the matter of fault with the implications s/he posted. Take up your complaint with the OP. Other posters merely indicated that there are other likely explanations.

 

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Edited June 28, 2017 by bUU