Carnival got me!

[deborahjo]

You could always ask to have your call "pulled" for them to review. If the agent was to have been more detailed in the explanation of the rate you booked, they may then change how they are handling your cancellation.

 

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Did this on our Alaska Cruise we booked on Princess. They were not to contact DH as it was a cruise for his 50th birthday. 15 minutes off the phone DH calls and ask if I booked an Alaskan cruise? I was furious. Princess had told him everything in an email.

 

On Monday I called Princess. They ask if I minded the call being reviewed? I told them to please do. By the time it was done we were offered a balcony cabin and OBC.

 

Let Carnival review the call.

 

 

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[luckybecky]

You know, some of you are twisting yourselves into pretzels trying to defend Carnival, while defaming the consumer. You've called us lazy, spoon-fed babies, and implied that we are stupid and incompetent. You have said that if we just ask the right questions, we will know the answer. And you've said that our PVP will give us a "scripted" spiel that outlines all of the relevant information, if we just had the brains to listen.

 

None of this is true. As I have stated before, in my call to reserve a Carnival cruise, I had NO "scripted" recap of any kind. I was on a 3 way call with our PVP and my sister who was also booking a room next door to us. My sister and I are both reasonably intelligent people who are capable of understanding standard English.

 

There was nothing whatsoever said about ANY kind of fee or penalty until I asked. Yes, I ASKED! Some of you keep saying that if we just asked.... Well, we were told only about the $50 fee, nothing about holding the rest of our deposit for FCC. Both of us are very clear about this. I *explicitly* asked what happens if we cancel and was not given a full and complete answer. When I learned about the FCC portion of the policy later, both my sister and I were completely surprised because this was NOT disclosed in our call despite my explicit questions. Other posters here have had similar experiences.

 

I'm not the OP but have been following this thread from the beginning and I'm getting tired of people trying to defend practices that are clearly indefensible, while blaming the consumer and calling them lazy. If a customer asks a company representative for the cancellation policy, they should be told about the cancellation policy!! Period.

 

Stop blaming the consumer and calling them lazy, stupid, or worse. Carnival does have an obligation to disclose this information-- especially when they are specifically asked. The consumer should not have to root around the website to double-check what they are told by a company representative.

 

And by the way, I am a fan of Carnival. I've spent 20 days on board with them so far, and can't wait for our upcoming 8 day cruise on the Sunshine. We've had a great time on every cruise. So I'm not here to bash them and have no bone to pick with them. But I'm tired of some of you (Computer Nerd and others) insulting people here and refusing to see that there may be another side to the story.

[WiCruiseDreamer]

You know, some of you are twisting yourselves into pretzels trying to defend Carnival, while defaming the consumer. You've called us lazy, spoon-fed babies, and implied that we are stupid and incompetent. You have said that if we just ask the right questions, we will know the answer. And you've said that our PVP will give us a "scripted" spiel that outlines all of the relevant information, if we just had the brains to listen.

 

None of this is true. As I have stated before, in my call to reserve a Carnival cruise, I had NO "scripted" recap of any kind. I was on a 3 way call with our PVP and my sister who was also booking a room next door to us. My sister and I are both reasonably intelligent people who are capable of understanding standard English.

 

There was nothing whatsoever said about ANY kind of fee or penalty until I asked. Yes, I ASKED! Some of you keep saying that if we just asked.... Well, we were told only about the $50 fee, nothing about holding the rest of our deposit for FCC. Both of us are very clear about this. I *explicitly* asked what happens if we cancel and was not given a full and complete answer. When I learned about the FCC portion of the policy later, both my sister and I were completely surprised because this was NOT disclosed in our call despite my explicit questions. Other posters here have had similar experiences.

 

I'm not the OP but have been following this thread from the beginning and I'm getting tired of people trying to defend practices that are clearly indefensible, while blaming the consumer and calling them lazy. If a customer asks a company representative for the cancellation policy, they should be told about the cancellation policy!! Period.

 

Stop blaming the consumer and calling them lazy, stupid, or worse. Carnival does have an obligation to disclose this information-- especially when they are specifically asked. The consumer should not have to root around the website to double-check what they are told by a company representative.

 

And by the way, I am a fan of Carnival. I've spent 20 days on board with them so far, and can't wait for our upcoming 8 day cruise on the Sunshine. We've had a great time on every cruise. So I'm not here to bash them and have no bone to pick with them. But I'm tired of some of you (Computer Nerd and others) insulting people here and refusing to see that there may be another side to the story.

You are correct, if you have asked about fees and penalties, they should be told. In fact, you should not have to ask.

 

I am a believer in the saying that their are 3 sides to every story. The side I remember, the side they remember and the third, that which actually took place. Our memories of an issue are based on our perspective, and thus we may not remember everything. This is why I said to have the call pulled to be sure policy was followed and the OP has the right to listen to the recording of the call.

 

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[LMaxwell]

Not all TA's cost nothing. If you live in a rural area you are probably going to pay. It cost me almost $100 to book plane tickets.

 

Using a TA has always had a net result of saving me money. It is the 21st century; if you choose to pay a TA for services that's entirely on you. TA's are just a phone call or click away; they make money off commissions paid by the company for which they sell products and services. Some cruise or resort TA's charge booking or change fees as a way to guarantee business doesn't hop around, but in turn they also tend to offer many perks that booking direct would not get you. Paying $100 to have someone book plane tickets is silly.

[LMaxwell]

You know, some of you are twisting yourselves into pretzels trying to defend Carnival, while defaming the consumer. You've called us lazy, spoon-fed babies, and implied that we are stupid and incompetent. You have said that if we just ask the right questions, we will know the answer. And you've said that our PVP will give us a "scripted" spiel that outlines all of the relevant information, if we just had the brains to listen.

 

None of this is true. As I have stated before, in my call to reserve a Carnival cruise, I had NO "scripted" recap of any kind. I was on a 3 way call with our PVP and my sister who was also booking a room next door to us. My sister and I are both reasonably intelligent people who are capable of understanding standard English.

 

There was nothing whatsoever said about ANY kind of fee or penalty until I asked. Yes, I ASKED! Some of you keep saying that if we just asked.... Well, we were told only about the $50 fee, nothing about holding the rest of our deposit for FCC. Both of us are very clear about this. I *explicitly* asked what happens if we cancel and was not given a full and complete answer. When I learned about the FCC portion of the policy later, both my sister and I were completely surprised because this was NOT disclosed in our call despite my explicit questions. Other posters here have had similar experiences.

 

I'm not the OP but have been following this thread from the beginning and I'm getting tired of people trying to defend practices that are clearly indefensible, while blaming the consumer and calling them lazy. If a customer asks a company representative for the cancellation policy, they should be told about the cancellation policy!! Period.

 

Stop blaming the consumer and calling them lazy, stupid, or worse. Carnival does have an obligation to disclose this information-- especially when they are specifically asked. The consumer should not have to root around the website to double-check what they are told by a company representative.

 

And by the way, I am a fan of Carnival. I've spent 20 days on board with them so far, and can't wait for our upcoming 8 day cruise on the Sunshine. We've had a great time on every cruise. So I'm not here to bash them and have no bone to pick with them. But I'm tired of some of you (Computer Nerd and others) insulting people here and refusing to see that there may be another side to the story.

 

Right on. And of course, anyone in doubt can call up themselves and get similar results.

[Bernardo62]

So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

So you blame Carnival for you not reading the contract? You got yourself........ LOL

I have a half of house in the Gulf of Mexico..... 12 thousand dollars, just give me 2 thousand now!

[WiCruiseDreamer]

So you blame Carnival for you not reading the contract? You got yourself........ LOL

I have a half of house in the Gulf of Mexico..... 12 thousand dollars, just give me 2 thousand now!

 

In this case, the OP called Carnival, did not do the booking online, so the argument is that there was nothing to read.

That being said, the OP is not a newbie to cruising or to CC. The OP also has worked in the travel industry. Unfortunately, with their background, I do find that they hold some responsibility has happened to them.

They need to contact call pulled and reviewed to see if there was a lack of info given or just a lapse in memory.

[poker pete]

So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

 

guess this was your first time or you would have check

78 days on CARNIVAL CRUISES

THEY ARE HONEST AND DO NOT HIDE ANYTHING

[lgerrish]

So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

 

My first question to the OP is: Have you ever cruised with Carnival? If so, then this is something you should have known. If not, I'm sorry you don't agree with their policy. Hopefully, you can book another cruise in the future.

[dallas52]

Should have ask about any fees.

[Bubba54]

How about just asking the question before booking? You can't blame Carnival for something that wasn't asked.

I disagree, if you are on the phone making a booking, you should be advised if it is non refundable. I believe it is fair and just good business.

[islacruzer]

So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

 

If you continue cruising, whether with Carnival or another line, you'll find that the cruising industry has a lot of practices that seem unfair. For example we paid for a Bahamas cruise once and because of bad weather, the whole cruise was diverted to a different destination. Now technically we paid for a Bahamas cruise, and did not get it. On the surface, It would appear that if I pay for something and did not get it, I should get a refund. Or what if your favorite beer was say, Miller lite. You purchased the unlimited drink package and get onboard and find that they ran out of Miller Lite. You can't drink any other beer. On the surface it looks like you should get a refund right?

 

Unfortunately there are no complete refunds when it comes to cruising. This has been the way it's been. On our Bahamas cruise that got diverted, we still had a good time so it wasn't a waste to us. In your situation, you didn't lose the vacation, it just got diverted.

 

On our last cruise, cancellation policy was what we focused on when making our purchase because there is always a chance something could happen and we spent a bit of money on the cruise. I asked every question under the sun about cancellations and ended up purchasing travel insurance. FYI, travel insurance costs as much as 25% of the total cost of the cruise and you never get that back. Also we went through a travel agent.

 

If there's something I would implore you to take away from this experience, I would hope for the following:

 

1. Be flexible. Know what could happen and prepare for the worst.

 

2. If cancellations are prevalent and you aren't in a situation that you could afford losing the money, consider paying for your cruise in installments or find a credit card that offers travel insurance. I have both of these.

 

3. The most important point: These community boards here, they're unfortunately the wrong place to vent. Look at how there was a lot of backlashing. Regardless of whose right here, you'll hardly find a sympathetic ear on these community boards. There are those who will agree with you but Good Lord when you complain on these discussion boards, you might as well move to North Korea for the purposes of discussing with Kimjungun your disagreements about him. And if you do go, make sure you get travel insurance.

 

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[Computer Nerd]

I'm pretty consistent in my stand that people should respect and abide by the cruise line's policies so I don't believe that portion of your response pertains to me (although I do see how it could pertain to some). I still maintain that if a CSR in a telephone conversation with a customer says "if you cancel this booking there is a $50 pp fee" without discussing the fact that the remainder of the deposit is also non-refundable but is held for a future cruise credit then that conversation violates the letter of the law. Whether or not someone actually makes an issue of it is a different matter entirely (and I suspect that if they did that Carnival would just refund the entire deposit rather than wasting time litigating, but that is just a guess). As for the OP he did state that he received an email confirmation that presumably told him which rate he was booked under and what the terms and conditions are, so the presumption is that CCL did meet it's burden. With that said if the customer immediately called to cancel the booking and was not able to then that would be another matter entirely.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree with this one. And no, I did not mean you about violating Carnival's policies. I find you, based on your posts, to be a pretty stand up person. Others on this site, not so much.

[Computer Nerd]

You know, some of you are twisting yourselves into pretzels trying to defend Carnival, while defaming the consumer. You've called us lazy, spoon-fed babies, and implied that we are stupid and incompetent. You have said that if we just ask the right questions, we will know the answer. And you've said that our PVP will give us a "scripted" spiel that outlines all of the relevant information, if we just had the brains to listen.

 

None of this is true. As I have stated before, in my call to reserve a Carnival cruise, I had NO "scripted" recap of any kind. I was on a 3 way call with our PVP and my sister who was also booking a room next door to us. My sister and I are both reasonably intelligent people who are capable of understanding standard English.

 

There was nothing whatsoever said about ANY kind of fee or penalty until I asked. Yes, I ASKED! Some of you keep saying that if we just asked.... Well, we were told only about the $50 fee, nothing about holding the rest of our deposit for FCC. Both of us are very clear about this. I *explicitly* asked what happens if we cancel and was not given a full and complete answer. When I learned about the FCC portion of the policy later, both my sister and I were completely surprised because this was NOT disclosed in our call despite my explicit questions. Other posters here have had similar experiences.

 

I'm not the OP but have been following this thread from the beginning and I'm getting tired of people trying to defend practices that are clearly indefensible, while blaming the consumer and calling them lazy. If a customer asks a company representative for the cancellation policy, they should be told about the cancellation policy!! Period.

 

Stop blaming the consumer and calling them lazy, stupid, or worse. Carnival does have an obligation to disclose this information-- especially when they are specifically asked. The consumer should not have to root around the website to double-check what they are told by a company representative.

 

And by the way, I am a fan of Carnival. I've spent 20 days on board with them so far, and can't wait for our upcoming 8 day cruise on the Sunshine. We've had a great time on every cruise. So I'm not here to bash them and have no bone to pick with them. But I'm tired of some of you (Computer Nerd and others) insulting people here and refusing to see that there may be another side to the story.

 

So, you've been on multiple cruises with Carnival (since they don't have a 20 day cruise), you've been on this board for almost 6 years, you have over 1000 posts, and yet you had no idea that the rest of the money when booking Early Saver was held for another cruise? Really? Please, quit pulling my leg. ;) BTW, I have suggested in a previous post there is another side of the story as we are only getting one side, the upset customer side.

[Bernardo62]

In this case, the OP called Carnival, did not do the booking online, so the argument is that there was nothing to read.

That being said, the OP is not a newbie to cruising or to CC. The OP also has worked in the travel industry. Unfortunately, with their background, I do find that they hold some responsibility has happened to them.

They need to contact call pulled and reviewed to see if there was a lack of info given or just a lapse in memory.

WOW..... Lesson learn

[riffatsea]

Even if you just call up and book on the phone you should have gone to the web site to see what was on offer so that you knew what you were booking!

You don't need a TA. You need to do research before you book something!

The same goes for a hotel on land. You go to the web site to see offers so you know what you are booking.

[luckybecky]

So, you've been on multiple cruises with Carnival (since they don't have a 20 day cruise), you've been on this board for almost 6 years, you have over 1000 posts, and yet you had no idea that the rest of the money when booking Early Saver was held for another cruise? Really? Please, quit pulling my leg. ;) BTW, I have suggested in a previous post there is another side of the story as we are only getting one side, the upset customer side.

 

OK, so you are doubling down. Now, I am not only lazy and stupid, but a liar too? No, Computer Nerd, I am not "pulling your leg." .

 

You can clearly see from my signature how often and when I have cruised with Carnival. Our last cruise with them was a few years ago. Terms can change over time. They may not be the same today as they were several years ago. That is ****WHY I ASKED****

 

The last time I booked a Carvinal cruise was the fall of 2011, for the Breeze the following summer. My daughter bought us a cruise the next year as an anniversary gift. So the last time I booked with Carnival was 6 years ago, and to tell you the truth I don't recall all the precise terms from 7 years ago. Again, ****THAT IS WHY I ASKED.****

 

My sister and I did not both fail to understand the terms as they were stated. We asked and did not get a complete answer. It is not unreasonable to expect a company representative to give us a complete and correct answer. Period.

 

And by the way, I am not "upset" with Carnival. As I stated in a previous post, we still would almost certainly have booked the cruise. However, my point in joining this discussion from the beginning was to demonstrate that even consumers who ask the right questions may not always get the right answers.

 

Why are you so bound and determined to refuse to acknowledge this fact? Do you work for Carnival? Are you beholden to them in some way? Are you trying to claim that every single one of their reps never makes a mistake on any booking, ever?

 

Look, businesses sometimes get it wrong. You insulting people here does not help anyone.

[Bernardo62]

Damn people write a book to explain something..... short and sweet and to the point....

[Jamericannn]

There was no fine print to read because I was on the phone and not near a computer. Once I gave her the credit card number it was all over. So you are telling me it's my responsibility to ask them all of the questions. I thought they were to let me know if a certain rate was non refundable or not.

 

 

I am sorry that happened to you but I must say that you should have done your research before you book so you can ask questions when booking. Most places you go and buy will not tell you what is refundable and what is not. I hope you get to go on your future cruise and have a lot of fun. The time you get to go will be the right time. :)

[Computer Nerd]

OK, so you are doubling down. Now, I am not only lazy and stupid, but a liar too? No, Computer Nerd, I am not "pulling your leg." .

 

You can clearly see from my signature how often and when I have cruised with Carnival. Our last cruise with them was a few years ago. Terms can change over time. They may not be the same today as they were several years ago. That is ****WHY I ASKED****

 

The last time I booked a Carvinal cruise was the fall of 2011, for the Breeze the following summer. My daughter bought us a cruise the next year as an anniversary gift. So the last time I booked with Carnival was 6 years ago, and to tell you the truth I don't recall all the precise terms from 7 years ago. Again, ****THAT IS WHY I ASKED.****

 

My sister and I did not both fail to understand the terms as they were stated. We asked and did not get a complete answer. It is not unreasonable to expect a company representative to give us a complete and correct answer. Period.

 

And by the way, I am not "upset" with Carnival. As I stated in a previous post, we still would almost certainly have booked the cruise. However, my point in joining this discussion from the beginning was to demonstrate that even consumers who ask the right questions may not always get the right answers.

 

Why are you so bound and determined to refuse to acknowledge this fact? Do you work for Carnival? Are you beholden to them in some way? Are you trying to claim that every single one of their reps never makes a mistake on any booking, ever?

 

Look, businesses sometimes get it wrong. You insulting people here does not help anyone.

 

Terms on Early Saver haven't changed in over 10 years.

 

No, I don't work for Carnival but sure wished I did. Working at sea would be a hoot (depending on the job).

 

I simply find it hard to believe that someone with any experience in cruising with Carnival or any experience using Google or the Carnival website or any time on these boards would not know this information. Never said you didn't just find it hard to believe.

 

I am no more trying to claim that every single rep is perfect than LMaxwell is trying to claim that every single rep will give you bad information. It is well known that you will get different answers from different reps. That being said, you didn't get incorrect information, supposedly (and I say that because no proof has been obtained from the other side of the story and I don't trust anyone to tell the whole, unbiased truth) incomplete information. I reserve judgement until both sides of the story have been heard. I have no reason to take your word (an unknown strager) over Carnival's word.

 

BTW, I don't gamble so no doubling down on my part. Just an impartial observation.

[CruiseGal999]

A suggestion for when you need to have YOUR call recorded and saved. Download an app to your cell phone, I have Call Recorder on my cell phone. It records every call I make. Then I delete ones I don't need to save. Recently I needed to pull my calls with Comcast to get the deal & credits I was promised. This is easier to find calls on your end than on theirs with the 1000s of calls they take.

[Computer Nerd]

A suggestion for when you need to have YOUR call recorded and saved. Download an app to your cell phone, I have Call Recorder on my cell phone. It records every call I make. Then I delete ones I don't need to save. Recently I needed to pull my calls with Comcast to get the deal & credits I was promised. This is easier to find calls on your end than on theirs with the 1000s of calls they take.

 

Very good suggestion. :)

[LMaxwell]

A suggestion for when you need to have YOUR call recorded and saved. Download an app to your cell phone, I have Call Recorder on my cell phone. It records every call I make. Then I delete ones I don't need to save. Recently I needed to pull my calls with Comcast to get the deal & credits I was promised. This is easier to find calls on your end than on theirs with the 1000s of calls they take.

 

This could be a life saver, lol. I'll look it up.

[Mslilad]

So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

 

 

 

Never pay in full until you have to. Only pay the deposit. Lessons learned. Always read the print.

 

 

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[S.S.Oceanlover]

Never pay in full until you have to. Only pay the deposit. Lessons learned. Always read the print.

 

 

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That is all they paid was the deposit.

 

Bill

 

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