Surprised by policy on ship sponsored shore tour

[wberthin]

I totally agree with the OP. I think its wrong. And the fact that carnival mentions to the free bottle and just says refer to their policy rather than say you cant bring it on board, seems deliberately misleading. In addtion, they should be aware the guides are saying you can bring it on board - and if not, they arent doing a good job of managing the tours.

 

That said, I like what Winddawn said. Its useful the OP has told us. If I go on the excursion, Im going to drink the wine on the bus:p

[Computer Nerd]

That's probably where we disagree the most.

 

Carnival does read these boards and also answers their emails and reads their post-cruise surveys.

 

I do feel we have a voice (A well managed company hears its customers) so I'd never concede to having no control over its policies.

 

It may be a very small voice, but I would never do business with a company I felt cared nothing for my opinion.

 

Would you?

 

You misread my statement. We (as in CC) have no control over Carnival's policies. What I meant was instead of complaining here, complain directly to Carnival so they will know your displeasure. Complaints sent directly to Carnival will have the most impact. Hoping that Michelle (the only Carnival employee with any clout that I know of reading these boards) sees your complaint here and forwards it on to someone who matters is like searching for a needle in a haystack. You do have a voice in how things are run if you complain to the right people.

 

Yes, I will do business with a company I don't like to please a friend. I can't stand NCL (makes me throw up in my mouth a little). But my travel buddies wanted to take a cruise around Hawaii. NCL is the only line that does that so next summer I will be sailing around Hawaii on a cruise line I can't stand to make my friends happy.

[banzaii]

Has nothing to do with loyalty. It has to do with following the rules set forth by the company. Yes, people can complain about them here (and believe me, they do) but we have no control over Carnival's policies.

As long as people meekly accept poor customer service or actually DEFEND IT, companies do not even feel the need to comment in these threads, let alone think about change.

That being said, I like Carnival's alcohol policy. You are allowed to take a small quantity on board at embarkation and if you need more, then you need to buy it on ship (which increases profits which as a stockholder, I like).

On Australian CCL cruises, you can not bring any onboard, nor do they offer cheers. Do you not think that inequitable and unfair? I do!

One has never been allowed to take alcohol to their cabin from ports and where it came from in port is immaterial (I understand some people get away with it but that is another thread).

Beg to differ, i cruised in 1992 when our group of 8 took a total of 16 litres of assorted liquor on board, duty free, and drank it in cabins all legal and above board. Then we would head to the bars and pay duty free prices there too.

 

We would also purchase more duty free alcohol from the onboard shops to take back home with us.

 

Back to OP:

I'm sure the CCL alcohol in port policy was not written with these tours in mind. However, it is concerning that the policy is referred to in the tour description even if so vague. This means that they have considered the free wine in regards to the policy and done nothing about it. That is just poor customer service!

 

IMHO if Carnival offer a tour advertising a "complimentary" bottle of wine then they are obliged to find a way for tour participants to enjoy said wine. If there are duties and taxes involved, these should be included in the tour price.

 

The sticker idea is sound and it would be quite easy for either Carnival staff or tour participants to provide evidence of being on that tour.

 

CC members working together can change policy. It just needs to be CCL's idea! :D

[declansdad]

Exactly, what an easy solution to improve a customer's experience.

 

Man this is a tough room - I guess Carnival should be proud of the intense loyalty they have developed.

 

The perfect product apparently

 

 

Maybe if you stopped insulting people by continuously calling them cheerleaders when they disagree with your point of view, more of them would agree with you.

[elcuchio24]

Glad you asked......it was described as a light, sweet, sparkling wine similar to Lambrusco - which would have been terrible if served on the bus ride back to port at the warm temperature we received it at. - it did come with a screw top though.........!!

 

That's one of the reasons I was so frustrated by the policy. Enjoying it prior to shipboard confiscation really wasn't a plausible option.

 

 

I'm sure some of the cheerleaders will say I should have brought a bag of ice on the tour along with cups of course

 

 

Truth be told, I purchased a $90 bottle of Caymus (A nice red wine) later on the cruise - so it wasn't an issue of money (I also had Cheers) , just frustration with a policy that results in a poor customer experience.

 

I'm not a complainer - the very first thing I said in the original post was that I had a wonderful time.

 

I would have shotgunned it warm in on the pier just out of principle.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I believe this is not true. Years ago you could or at least that's what I've been told. If someone can take a bottle of wine on-board at embarkation then someone should be able to take beer or liquor as well. But like you said that's another thread.

 

I have been on 28 cruises and have never been on one where they allowed more than a bottle of wine per person at embarkation. I have also never seen liquor allowed to be taken on to the ship at ports except when the security team told someone they had to check it and that person, took it off the scanner belt , stuck it under their coat or beach towel, and walked right past the check in table. And this information does not fall into the "at least that's what I have been told" category.

[skiingj]

I have been on 28 cruises and have never been on one where they allowed more than a bottle of wine per person at embarkation. I have also never seen liquor allowed to be taken on to the ship at ports except when the security team told someone they had to check it and that person, took it off the scanner belt , stuck it under their coat or beach towel, and walked right past the check in table. And this information does not fall into the "at least that's what I have been told" category.

 

28 is not enough as I guess you never sailed Carnival in Europe lately or anywhere back in the 90's when you could bring on alcohol by the bottle or case. Carnival sailings in Europe you can bring on any alcohol at any port. I brought on 2 cases of Amarone in Venice and several bottles of Rum in Barcelona & Marseille with no problems. Your not in the right 'Category'.

[Havingfun2010]

This is nothing more than a poor policy of Carnival. The tour was to a winery, and each guest that purchased the tour, received a bottle of wine. The price of the wine was included. It was a ship sponsored tour. Other cruise lines allow items such as this to be bought on.

 

They is a right way to handle things, and a wrong way. Carnival is desperate for money, and does not want any opportunity to receive less revenue to interfere with that policy.

[sarmat1]

OP, why not post about this on John Heald's facebook page?

[CA_Cruzing]

We just finished a wonderfully 3 day cruise on the Imagination, but were quite frustrated by what seems like a crazy shipboard policy:

 

Ensenada, Mexico actually has a wine region about 45 minutes from town and we took a ship sponsored tour for a reasonable fee of $45.

 

It is well know that each attendee is given a bottle of wine after leaving the first of two wineries visited. On Princess, we were allowed to bring this bottle to our room (After all, it was given to us by a ship sponsored tour - we paid Princess directly)

 

But on the Imagination, it was confiscated upon enter and not to be given back until the morning of debarkation.

 

Sine we were flying back with carry-on luggage only, the 2 bottles were basically wasted and taken from us without the ability to be enjoyed.

 

We pleaded our case with Guest Services but it fell on very deaf ears with little empathy displayed. We were Cheers participants, so no money would be lost in allowing us to enjoy the wine that Carnival basically gave us in the first place.

 

The paperwork we were given when the bottles were taken said "Any alcohol PURCHASED while onshore will be held...." But this was not purchased - it was given to us while on a ship-purchase tour.

 

This policy makes no sense, and sets passengers up for frustration.

 

IMHO, they should either allow this gift to be enjoyed onboard or stop the practice altogether - don't give us something just to take it away in hopes of making additional profit. That's creating mixed messages and a poor customer experience.

your contras is coming from Princess to Carnival.

 

Princess allows wine on board by pax. they just charge you $15 corkage beyond your first and free bottle.

 

Carnival allows one 750ml per person to be brought on at embarkation. alcohol purchased during excursions is held until night before disembarkation.

 

i can share your frustration but Carnival has its own set of rules. to have kept you bottle, you could have checked your luggage instead of carrying it on. this would have saved your bottle. if you're flying Southwest, then bags fly free.

 

i don't think Carnival was making things hard for you in particular. they just have their own set of rules. these rules have been in place as far back as i can recall, which goes back to 2008 for me.

 

Princess offers a different experience. i think you were just expecting a Princess experience on a Carnival ship.

[CA_Cruzing]

This is nothing more than a poor policy of Carnival. The tour was to a winery, and each guest that purchased the tour, received a bottle of wine. The price of the wine was included. It was a ship sponsored tour. Other cruise lines allow items such as this to be bought on.

 

They is a right way to handle things, and a wrong way. Carnival is desperate for money, and does not want any opportunity to receive less revenue to interfere with that policy.

Carnival is the largest cruise line out there. Your opinion is just that, opinion.

 

I really don't get why people hate on Carnival. If people don't like the experience, they can always sail a different line.

 

If I had to deduce Carnival's booze policy, it is they want to control the flow of alcohol so people don't become belligerent and unruly. With Cheers, they can cut you off at anytime for your and the other pax safety. If one had additional alcohol in their room, Carnival's ability to control a declining situation is negated.

 

Maybe this rule is in place to protect all the pax from a select few derelict passengers?

 

I'm not advocating a specific position but your statement that Carnival is desperate for money seems off base and disingenuous.

[dsk69]

True. And OP didn't pay Carnival for the wine, they paid the excursion operator, Carnival just was the excursion sponsor (although, they got their mark-up, of course).

 

It is a shame, though, to let that wine go to waste. Unfortunately, Princess and Carnival have different policies regarding bringing wine on board.

And they are owed by the same company which makes it crazier

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

[Baseball fan]

Can someone confirm, the passenger doesn’t receive their held bottles until the day of disembarkation? Other lines return it the evening before do you can pack it in your luggage.

 

 

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[Schoifmom]

Can someone confirm, the passenger doesn’t receive their held bottles until the day of disembarkation? Other lines return it the evening before do you can pack it in your luggage.

 

 

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It depends on the length of the cruise. Longer cruises - they are delivered the night before debarkation. Shorter cruises - you pick them up on debarkation morning. I don't remember where the line is ... 6 or 7 days.

[Computer Nerd]

As long as people meekly accept poor customer service or actually DEFEND IT, companies do not even feel the need to comment in these threads, let alone think about change.

 

The company has a policy. The company advertised that policy. The company enforced that policy. Just where in the world do you determine there was poor customer service??? Is it poor customer service because they didn't bend the rules for a complainer who didn't want the rules enforced for them? People complain so often because Carnival doesn't enforce a lot of their rules and then when they do, people cry about that.

 

On Australian CCL cruises, you can not bring any onboard, nor do they offer cheers. Do you not think that inequitable and unfair? I do!

 

We ain't in Australia so, IMO,. it's a moot point. But to answer your question, what you think the rules should be is moot as well unless you are Carnival Australia's CEO. If you don't like a business' rules, don't spend you money with them. I don't like NCL's rules so I don't sail NCL (unless I have to). Can it be much simpler???

 

Beg to differ, i cruised in 1992 when our group of 8 took a total of 16 litres of assorted liquor on board, duty free, and drank it in cabins all legal and above board. Then we would head to the bars and pay duty free prices there too.

 

We would also purchase more duty free alcohol from the onboard shops to take back home with us.

 

I had no idea what a cruise ship was when I was stationed in the Netherlands back in 1992 and have not attempted to make a reference back to that time. Back on the Titanic in 1912, passengers could carry weapons on board (at least they did in the movie). Of course, what they did in 1912, 1992, or even 2000 is not what they are doing now. Time to catch up with today's policies.

[Computer Nerd]

Maybe if you stopped insulting people by continuously calling them cheerleaders when they disagree with your point of view, more of them would agree with you.

 

[Computer Nerd]

This is nothing more than a poor policy of Carnival. The tour was to a winery, and each guest that purchased the tour, received a bottle of wine. The price of the wine was included. It was a ship sponsored tour. Other cruise lines allow items such as this to be bought on.

 

They is a right way to handle things, and a wrong way. Carnival is desperate for money, and does not want any opportunity to receive less revenue to interfere with that policy.

 

Go sail other cruise lines then. :rolleyes:

 

As a stockholder I want Carnival to make as much money as possible. :D

[Computer Nerd]

And they are owed by the same company which makes it crazier

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

Carnival Corporation owns 11 different cruise lines and each of those cruise lines have their own set of operational rules.

[Computer Nerd]

Can someone confirm, the passenger doesn’t receive their held bottles until the day of disembarkation? Other lines return it the evening before do you can pack it in your luggage.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

On the Glory a few weeks ago, I received my alcohol in my cabin the evening before departure (purchased off ship). On the Vista in March, I had to retrieve it from the atrium the morning of departure (purchased on board).

[rs45thompson]

I'm definitely not a carnival cheerleader. As you can see I've cruised with Disney, NCL, Carnival and I have a cruise booked with royal. So my allegiance is not with anyone Cruise Line. If I took this excursion I would have expected the wine to be taken when I boarded. Just because it's a ship sponsored tour it doesn't mean that their policies for wine will be ignored. Sorry o p

[joepeka]

I've heard of "Cheerleaders", but ..............

 

No one finds this policy in-congruent ?

 

Giving a bottle of wine during an official Carnival shoretour just to take it away at boarding

 

What's the difference between this and awarding a bottle on-board for winning a contest ?

 

Both were Carnival sponsored activities

I have not read all the posts on both pages of this thread but I too agree with you. Carnival knows that the excursion provider gives guests a free bottle and therefore should allow it brought on board and to your cabin if you can produce proof that you attended that excursion.

[Scotto97]

Go sail other cruise lines then. :rolleyes:

 

As a stockholder I want Carnival to make as much money as possible. :D

 

That stockholder discount is genius !!

 

It turns customers into enforcers

[maxydu]

Scotto,

I too am a CCL stockholder but unlike Computer Nerd, I am willing to forgo the profit to make your cruise a little

more enjoyable. As a former Fed Agent, I believe in rules and the enforcement there of BUT, since the wine comes as part of a CCL sponsored excursion, I think this rule needs to be tweaked. Thank you for adding to the bottom line by purchasing Cheer's and a $90. bottle of wine. I don't encourage breaking the rules but MANY cruisers slip right by the desk with their spirits in hand......just sayin.........

[Computer Nerd]

That stockholder discount is genius !!

 

It turns customers into enforcers

 

I'm not an enforcer on Carnival (though I would LOVE to be issued a stick and a badge when boarding). I wasn't there when they took your bottle of wine. Sorry you don't to pick and choose which rules Carnival decides to enforce.

[Computer Nerd]

As a former Fed Agent.......I don't encourage breaking the rules but MANY cruisers slip right by the desk with their spirits in hand......just sayin.........

 

Just like Jimmy Hoffa. ;p