Final Payment Due 2/17 for 5/3 sailing

[OceanZena]

From reading many posts here, it's pretty much ensured that May sailings will be cancelled and my final payment is just 13 days away now. Last time they cancelled, I rebooked, but this time I just want to get my deposit back and wait until sailings have been up and running for at least 6 months before booking anything further. I just want out.

 

If they wait until after my final payment due date to cancel for May and I don't pay in full, do I have no other choice but to kiss that $198 deposit away? I really don't want to rebook for a later date and think Carnival really should be making exceptions during these unprecedented times and just give back deposits to those who want off this merry go round.

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think cruises wouldn't be running a full year after all this began, and I tried rebooking in hopes for sailings to restart, but i'm just exhausted playing this game and just want my deposit back and be out of it. Please hold back from scolding me with things like "well those are the rules" or "Carnival has every right to keep your deposit". I know all the rules and that's besides the point. I feel in times like this, Carnival should be much more lenient in regard to people's deposits and it makes me angry that they seem to purposely wait until people's final dates have passed to announce the new cancellations so they don't have to return deposits. 

 

It makes me never want to do business with them again after things start up. I have read that people have been successful with having their final payment dates extended, but what is the longest extension they can grant? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? Ideally, i'd like to call them and ask for my deposit back, but I guess all I can do is call to request the extension and hope it falls before they cancel the May sailings. I shouldn't have to jump through these hoops like a circus dog though, and I resent Carnival for making me. 

 

I guess this was more of a rant than a question. Sorry, i'm just at the end of my rope with this whole thing. 😞 

[red lobster]

I'm in the same boat as you, no pun intended. My final payment is due February 14th and I'm booked on an 8 day out of Miami. I'm certain this isn't going to happen, but they haven't cancelled it. I haven't even made plane reservations, because I don't want to worry about that being a loss also.

[OceanZena]

1 hour ago, red lobster said:

I'm in the same boat as you, no pun intended. My final payment is due February 14th and I'm booked on an 8 day out of Miami. I'm certain this isn't going to happen, but they haven't cancelled it. I haven't even made plane reservations, because I don't want to worry about that being a loss also.

 

If you decide to call requesting an extension of the final payment date, please come back and share what they said. I'm going to wait until the day before (2/16) and if May isn't cancelled i'm going to call and first ask them if they would refund my $198 (I know, I know)....and when they evilly decline, I will then ask for the payment extension and play the waiting game. 

 

Even IF by some miracle they start sailing in May, there's no way i'm going on a guinea pig sailing.🐹 Six months of sailings without issue after operations begin is my absolute minimum before jumping back in the water. 

[pamesacruisin]

It seems what I'm hearing is Carnival is waiting to cancel cruises until after the final deposits are due.  That way they get more $$ to hang on to for a while longer.  Then they hope folks will take the FCC so they don't have to give a refund.  Our final deposit isn't due until early April for a July cruise.  I certainly don't want to tie up any more $$ for them to just cancel.  Not sure what to do if April 1st comes along and our cruise hasn't been cancelled (yet).  Would I hang on to that wee bit of hope and pay Carnival a couple more thousand dollars in case it's a go?  They've already got over $3000 from me because I took the FCC from last years cancelled cruise.  This new cruise is more expensive and they did not roll over my deposit.  Smart game they are playing because if they cancel and I accept the FCC again in order to keep the $600 OBC per cabin, they now have over $5000 of my money.  

[OceanZena]

3 minutes ago, pamesacruisin said:

It seems what I'm hearing is Carnival is waiting to cancel cruises until after the final deposits are due.  That way they get more $$ to hang on to for a while longer.  Then they hope folks will take the FCC so they don't have to give a refund.  Our final deposit isn't due until early April for a July cruise.  I certainly don't want to tie up any more $$ for them to just cancel.  Not sure what to do if April 1st comes along and our cruise hasn't been cancelled (yet).  Would I hang on to that wee bit of hope and pay Carnival a couple more thousand dollars in case it's a go?  They've already got over $3000 from me because I took the FCC from last years cancelled cruise.  This new cruise is more expensive and they did not roll over my deposit.  Smart game they are playing because if they cancel and I accept the FCC again in order to keep the $600 OBC per cabin, they now have over $5000 of my money.  

 

Stories like this make me feel terrible for complaining about my piddly $198 deposit. I couldn't imagine having thousands tied up in all this and feel for all of you who have such high amounts in booked sailings. I know Carnival is hurting for cash, but it's things like this that they really should take into consideration. It may not be a smart game they are playing if it erodes trust in their brand. 

[cingroomer]

My cruise is May 1 out of Miami, I called and asked for an extension and they gave me till Feb 28th, said thats the best they could do, my friend also called and they gave her till march 27th...hmmm, but the 28th was the best they could do for me so it just depends who you get on the phone and how much they want to help you. I will probably pay the balance and hope to be able to cruise in November, with having the covid vaccine I'm no longer worried about going. 

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

It's not a matter of scolding, but while each individual here might be out possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars, Carnival as well every other cruise line (as well as many other business around the world) are trying to find a way for them to not go bankrupt. They are hoping for the best (as you have been) and they felt that this strategy could possibly succeed. For them to now make a decision that they should give back the monies they are holding would be totally irresponsible to their employees, the owners, as well as people like yourself that are hoping their monies will not be lost.

 

Whether in the past you make your decisions with eyes wide open or not, really is not Carnival's responsibility. Going forward (even if you get your extension) you will likely have to make a decision, and you won't be able to say that you were ignorant of the possible negative outcomes. 

[OceanZena]

Wow, it seems they just pull these extension dates out of thin air. A one month difference for two people with the same sailing date does seem strange. March 27th would be wonderful if I could get it, as I expect May cancellations to have definitely been announced by then. Feb 28 is iffy since I expect them to wait until March to make the announcement. I hate playing this game and we all shouldn't have to as we near our final payment dates when there's a 99% chance the sailing isn't going to be happening. 

[OceanZena]

1 minute ago, Nic6318 said:

Hi

 

It's not a matter of scolding, but while each individual here might be out possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars, Carnival as well every other cruise line (as well as many other business around the world) are trying to find a way for them to not go bankrupt. They are hoping for the best (as you have been) and they felt that this strategy could possibly succeed. For them to now make a decision that they should give back the monies they are holding would be totally irresponsible to their employees, the owners, as well as people like yourself that are hoping their monies will not be lost.

 

Whether in the past you make your decisions with eyes wide open or not, really is not Carnival's responsibility. Going forward (even if you get your extension) you will likely have to make a decision, and you won't be able to say that you were ignorant of the possible negative outcomes. 

 

I have to respectfully disagree and say that it is completely irresponsible of Carnival to use such a strategy in order to hold onto customer dollars as it erodes trust in the company by their customers. And what you're basically saying is that Carnival has the right to put themselves first over doing what's right and fair to the customer. Then that should apply to us customers as well then. 

 

Look, I get that they're hurting financially, but there are literally millions of people everywhere who are hurting financially these days as well and I think it's safe to say that Carnival is not high on most of our priority lists at the moment. 

 

[skridge]

4 hours ago, OceanZena said:

From reading many posts here, it's pretty much ensured that May sailings will be cancelled and my final payment is just 13 days away now. Last time they cancelled, I rebooked, but this time I just want to get my deposit back and wait until sailings have been up and running for at least 6 months before booking anything further. I just want out.

 

If they wait until after my final payment due date to cancel for May and I don't pay in full, do I have no other choice but to kiss that $198 deposit away? I really don't want to rebook for a later date and think Carnival really should be making exceptions during these unprecedented times and just give back deposits to those who want off this merry go round.

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think cruises wouldn't be running a full year after all this began, and I tried rebooking in hopes for sailings to restart, but i'm just exhausted playing this game and just want my deposit back and be out of it. Please hold back from scolding me with things like "well those are the rules" or "Carnival has every right to keep your deposit". I know all the rules and that's besides the point. I feel in times like this, Carnival should be much more lenient in regard to people's deposits and it makes me angry that they seem to purposely wait until people's final dates have passed to announce the new cancellations so they don't have to return deposits. 

 

It makes me never want to do business with them again after things start up. I have read that people have been successful with having their final payment dates extended, but what is the longest extension they can grant? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? Ideally, i'd like to call them and ask for my deposit back, but I guess all I can do is call to request the extension and hope it falls before they cancel the May sailings. I shouldn't have to jump through these hoops like a circus dog though, and I resent Carnival for making me. 

 

I guess this was more of a rant than a question. Sorry, i'm just at the end of my rope with this whole thing. 😞 

Carnival has shown the same pattern since this began.  Wait until after the final payment to cancel in order to rake in as much money as they possibly can.  People keep telling me my view on this is ridiculous yet Carnival has not changed what they are doing therefor my view has and will not change.

[Silent Penguin]

We are booked for a May 8th sailing.  I asked for an extension on final payment, and was assigned March 17th.   

[OceanZena]

6 minutes ago, skridge said:

Carnival has shown the same pattern since this began.  Wait until after the final payment to cancel in order to rake in as much money as they possibly can.  People keep telling me my view on this is ridiculous yet Carnival has not changed what they are doing therefor my view has and will not change.

 

It's terrible business practice imo because people will see how they're acting and lose trust in them. I read someone mention here in one of the other threads how they're being constantly bombarded with e mails from Carnival to book sailings and put deposits down. I get them too...all these happy perky e mails as if from a pre-2020 world---to book your FUN cruise now!! Just what world are they living in?!

 

Just today I read this very disheartening bit of information in the news----White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "Even after you're vaccinated, social distancing and wearing a mask will be essential." How on earth can cruises restart with that bleak outlook? 😞 

 

[OceanZena]

5 minutes ago, Silent Penguin said:

We are booked for a May 8th sailing.  I asked for an extension on final payment, and was assigned March 17th.   

 

That's great to know! Thanks for sharing that. I guess maybe I shouldn't wait until the day before final payment and just call them now to ask for the extension. I think it's safe to assume they'll cancel May before 3/17. 

[Nic6318]

2 hours ago, OceanZena said:

 

I have to respectfully disagree and say that it is completely irresponsible of Carnival to use such a strategy in order to hold onto customer dollars as it erodes trust in the company by their customers. And what you're basically saying is that Carnival has the right to put themselves first over doing what's right and fair to the customer. Then that should apply to us customers as well then. 

 

 

Hi 

 

I didn't say that it was right that they are using this "strategy" to try and keep afloat. What I did say was that since they decided to go this course, it would be irresponsible for them to change their mind at this point. Most people who are in the position you find yourself, had made a choice at some point in the past. If cruising had started up again sometime last summer or fall, everybody would have been happy. Your decisions as well as the companies involved made business decisions. Right now you are not happy with your decision. 

 

As far as your comment about Carnival putting themselves above their customers... Carnival is a "company", their "primary" responsibility is to make money for their owners (shareholders), then to their employees, then to their customers. If the decision makers in the company did it any other way, they could be held personally responsible for losses and face termination as well as likely lawsuits. It is not necessarily something I agree with, it's just the way it is with capitalism.  

[Silent Penguin]

23 hours ago, OceanZena said:

 

That's great to know! Thanks for sharing that. I guess maybe I shouldn't wait until the day before final payment and just call them now to ask for the extension. I think it's safe to assume they'll cancel May before 3/17. 

Did you get your payment date extended?  (side question: how long was the wait on the phone?) I think you're right. At least, I hope you are right.  As badly as we want to go, even with the new protocols, I wouldn't be terribly put out if Carnival cancels May sailings. 

[VentureMan_2000]

I called this week.  I got my May 8th cruise final payment date moved out to March 25.  I anticipate May cruises will be cancelled.

[BoozinCroozin]

Unfortunately, you cannot blame the cruise industry for this issue. If they could sail, they will. The CDC is the one that is moving the line in the sand without any requirements. The cruise lines have to assume they can sail on May 1. The reality is we will probably be following Canada with cruises canceled through 2021

[OceanZena]

23 hours ago, Silent Penguin said:

Did you get your payment date extended?  (side question: how long was the wait on the phone?) I think you're right. At least, I hope you are right.  As badly as we want to go, even with the new protocols, I wouldn't be terribly put out if Carnival cancels May sailings. 

 

I just called now and got final payment extended to 3/24 for the 5/3 sailing. I'm sure we'll have the May cancellations by then. What a relief! (Now watch them wait till 3/25 to cancel lol)

 

BTW I called just now, Saturday at 3:30pm and got connected to a rep within 2 minutes. So if anyone is thinking of calling, now seems to be a good time. 

Edited February 6, 2021 by OceanZena

[ledges1]

I talked to a carnival cruise rep yesterday about possibly cancelling my May cruise. I am on a wait list. They advised me to wait until the cruise was cancelled by Carnival to retain the $600 obc. Without the rep directly saying it (lot of indirect comments), May will be cancelled in a week or two. That is probably after final payment. Then you will have an option to roll your money or get a refund. Their hope is you roll your money and do not ask for a refund. It is great that they allow you to extend the final payment so you are not out additional funds.

[OceanZena]

1 hour ago, ledges1 said:

I talked to a carnival cruise rep yesterday about possibly cancelling my May cruise. I am on a wait list. They advised me to wait until the cruise was cancelled by Carnival to retain the $600 obc. Without the rep directly saying it (lot of indirect comments), May will be cancelled in a week or two. That is probably after final payment. Then you will have an option to roll your money or get a refund. Their hope is you roll your money and do not ask for a refund. It is great that they allow you to extend the final payment so you are not out additional funds.

 

What do you mean you're on a wait list? What is the wait list for? 

 

I didn't know the obc would be retained if you choose to move the booking to another date. I have $500 obc for my 5/3 sailing and though it would be nice to keep that for a later sailing, i'd rather just give that up to pull myself out of all this until (if) cruises go back to pre-2020 type sailing. I hope it does at some point, but right now the future seems much too bleak imo. 

 

If they do cancel within the next week or two that would be good on Carnival. I know they need the funds, but they really should do the right thing and announce these cancellations prior to people's final payment dates so they have choices rather than be stuck with rebooking or losing deposits. 

 

Allowing extensions of final payments is great, but I saw today that Norweigan is offering people who book new cruises with them for 2021 no penalty, full refund cancellations and I think it would be nice if Carnival followed suit with the same kind of offer. 

[Honolulu Blue]

I'm glad OP's situation is seemingly resolved.  I just wanted to put down a few notes about my continued irritation with the way Carnival is handling their final payment due dates.  It seems to be "final payment is due 60-90 days before the embarkation date, unless you or your travel agent calls one of our customer service reps, whereupon we'll magically give you 15-30 days extra - depending on the agent's authority and their mood".  As a former shareholder, I appreciate Carnival's desire to hang on to their customer's money as long as possible, but I think it's much fairer to have a standard extended final payment due date that is communicated to everyone and doesn't depend on who you get on the phone.

 

P.S.  Two minutes to get a rep!  I'm impressed, OP.  I bet it goes WAY up when they cancel all those Alaska sailings.

[ledges1]

When I tried to book the cruise, it was full or at capacity. I was put on a wait list to get a call if anyone cancelled and open a spot for the room level I wanted. That was before they cancelled 8 day cruises. I put down a deposit which locked in my $600 obc on the cruise.

[vwrestler171]

I know I will be calling in a cpl weeks to get final payment extended for my May cruise.  Final payment is due Feb 28th and I'm hoping to get it pushed to mid march at least, so when they cancel the cruise I can take that money and go elsewhere.  

[westview1]

I was surprised when they canceled our B2B2B2B on the Legend out of Dover in June in January.  We thought that they would wait until the last minute with these.  It may be the only exception to how Carnival has been canceling.  We were 99.9% sure that those cruises were going to be canceled, so we took some of the $ for the June 2021 sailings (we had paid in full with gift cards) and moved it to the Pride June 2022 out of Dover, with similar itineraries to replace them.  A week later the Legend was canceled.  We can't believe we called that correctly, but sometimes things work out.  Our issue is that when you pay with gift cards, you can only get a gift card back or re-book.  But we knew that, and are kicking the can down the line until they do start sailing again. 

[DAllenTCY]

Carnival offered to delay my final payment only 3 days.

 

Now Feb 14th for sailing (maybe) May 15th.

 

David