This situation is just unbelievable-PLEASE give me your opinon!!

[ALVINF]

You haven't said what ship, how long or when it is. Please let us know this so somebody can help you. If it is a 3 day cruise to nowhere it's a bad price. If it's a seven day balcony it's a great price for FOUR people. Was that two adults and two children or what? Also.... i'm assuming the airfare was not included in that $2300.

[heavenly]

Speaking as a TA, most of us will quote the total price per person or per cabin. When the cruise lines (all of them) give us a quote they break out the cruise fare and the "taxes and fees." Some will break the taxes and fees out into non-commissionables and port fees. Honestly, no one really knows what the non-commissionable portion consists of, it's not documented in an itemized manner anyplace. Right now, I'm looking at a Carnival confirmation that lists cruise fare as one item and "taxes and fees" as a second, the taxes and fees are $205.53 per person - this is on the Carnival Glory...

 

The real problem here is a TA that doesn't really know the first thing about selling a cruise. The above outlined situation is standard with every cruise line and it is always per person.

[truecruiser]

..and travel insurance is also extra and must be paid in full when purchased. though you can defer getting this until right b/4 your cancellation penalties kick in...

[heavenly]

Duplicate

[truecruiser]

we shld all become travel agents like the neighbor. most of us know just as much, if not more than many TAs just by virtue of the amt that we cruise. and if we do become TAs, we'll get to cruise for free (or close to it), a gazillion times a year like they do.:rolleyes:

[heavenly]

LOL I wish we traveled for free or close to it... We usually jump on the really good "shoulder season" deals like the regular consumer does. Usually, that is cheaper than the agent rate!

[EmJakeBubbie]

since the OP made the original post, this thread has jumped alive. I think the OP is paying a reasonable fare, although can only presume it's a 7-night, etc.etc. How a TA presents a quote "can" be confusing - a good TA is familiar w/a vendor's protocol and knows how to dot the i's and cross the t's for a (novice or otherwise) cruiser. This being said, a buyer should be informed b4 they make the purchase. IF a credit card was involved (sounded like it was), you can dispute the charge, yes? and, if outside of penalty cancellation fees, you can cancel for a full refund. If, however, the OP feels like they are getting what they wanted and can afford the price, go for it. A TA for "fun" is a person who dabbles in travel, not a "real agent"! just MHO. Cruise prices, for the most part, are created by Corporate Headquaters of any given cruise line. There's very little wiggle room, no matter from whom you make the purchase. It's more about the service and I prefer the service from a knowledgeable Travel Agent.

[cruisinbuddy]

Sorry, but even on my first cruise I new the taxes/port charges were per person, even though they were included in the price. This is what my TA advised me.

[caribbean dreams]

That sounds like a lot of tax...I just checked our paperwork for upcoming cruises and we pay about $100 in federal taxes for the two of us for a 7 day cruise.

 

.

 

I have a break down on my paper work, i am going on an 8 day cruise and the port charges & taxes were $226.10 per person.

 

So the TA was right on that one, she just should have added it in to the total fare for you when she gave you the quote.

[GoinCruisin]

That sounds like a lot of tax...I just checked our paperwork for upcoming cruises and we pay about $100 in federal taxes for the two of us for a 7 day cruise.

 

And I'm pretty sure that the $10 is more of a guideline than it is mandatory. You can request to tip in cash.

 

$100 sounds right for 2 people for JUST the taxes... not the non commissionable portion (used to be called port fees)... the $200pp figure sounds right for the taxes and non-comm fees...

 

OP, sounds like your neighbor/friend needs more training. She should have known better. Lesson learned... before giving someone your credit card info, get the total price... She really botched this one. No bait and switch, just a "want to be" TA that screwed up... plain and simple. It's still a good price. As for the tips... that would be very easy to find out about simply by looking at the Carnival website FAQ's or the brochure. Some of the responsibility of all of this rests on your shoulders... prior to spending that kind of money, one should do at least a little research. There is fault here on many sides, but not the cruise lines... Good luck.

[shellie123]

I just made reservations for 12 people for a 5 night cruise. Our port charges were $51 per person and taxes were $120 per person, so that is not bad.

 

Kids under 2 are charged tips. The only way I knew about the tips being prepaid was from reading about them on the Carnival site. It has a wealth of information. If you think about it, $10 per person per day is pretty cheap considering it covers waiters, cooks, and cabin stewards.

 

If she wants to see what her best possible price could be (at this particular time), she should try *****.com or another site, and be certain to let them know in the notes section of the request that she wants TAXES & PORT CHARGES INCLUDED in the price. But tips are never included in the cruise quotes.

[GoinCruisin]

I just made reservations for 12 people for a 5 night cruise. Our port charges were $51 per person and taxes were $120 per person, so that is not bad.

 

Kids under 2 are charged tips. The only way I knew about the tips being prepaid was from reading about them on the Carnival site. It has a wealth of information. If you think about it, $10 per person per day is pretty cheap considering it covers waiters, cooks, and cabin stewards.

 

If she wants to see what her best possible price could be (at this particular time), she should try *****.com or another site, and be certain to let them know in the notes section of the request that she wants TAXES & PORT CHARGES INCLUDED in the price. But tips are never included in the cruise quotes.

 

I think you have those reversed... the $51 should be for the taxes.. taxes shouldn't be more than the port fees...

 

Kids under 2 should not be charged tips...

[cruiser407]

Another reason why I book straight with Carnival.

 

You can always cancel the cruise.

 

What cruise date and ship did you book on. I'm sure there are plenty here that can confirm what the real cost is.

 

There is no such thing as federal tax fee.

 

I have never seens taxes and fees for than $40 to $60 per person. What the TA did was quote you the commisionable fare... the fare they make their money on... but convienently left off the non-commisionable fare.

 

At the very least I would cancel the cruise with that TA and then re-book directly with Carnival. You want to take that clown out of the picture.

 

At the very least, you will get some satisfaction knowing that that TA will not be making any commission.

 

I wonder if you can contact your credit card company and tell them this is a fraudulent charge. I mean, you did not not sign your credit card receipt.

 

So I had to leave after I posted-I thought maybe 1 or 2 people would respond so THANK YOU to everyone who posted! I have a few questions though!

Can I cancel this trip? When I booked it she had me pay in full and told me it was non-refundable.

 

Can I cancel the cruise??

[cruiser407]

But, Zandaam, as tasty as your popcorn may be (and it is quite good:D ), i do not agree w/ the OP's implication that it was her TA's job to tell her that tips are added at $10 per day.

 

come to think of it, i don't think i've ever had anyone (not Carnival, not TA, not Disney, not Celebrity, not NCL), ever tell me that tips were added when they were. This info initially came from me reading it. that was some time ago, of course, since after you do this way the first time it becomes second nature.

 

really, i think the OP has to share some responsibility here. i wldn't take/invest in a trip anywhere w/o at least doing a little bit of reasearch on my own.:confused:

 

I agree that I share responsiblity! I NEVER do anything without doing ALL the research! If fact I was researching family vacations to death and she kept saying how great and cheap cruises are so I just trusted her and booked it. Huge lesson! I told her I had to have a very firm budget for the entire trip. She NEVER mentioned tipping at all-and stupid me-we have been on 2 all-inclusive trips and tipping was strictly prohibited so I just did not even think of tipping. She kept calling it all-inclusive. I found this board AFTER I booked-UM DUH!!!!!!!!!! I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE RESEARCH! WHAT was I thinking!! I was just frustrated trying to find a trip.

The truth is now that my trip is costing us $1000 more than I had originally budgeted for I would have definitely looked into other options that were in that price range!!!!!!!! So I am definitely frustrated that I did not do more research UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[asoutherngal]

I am looking at my booking for the 2/12 8 day Legend cruise (balcony cabin) booked directly with my Carnival PVP--$1099 pp or $2198 total plus Fed taxes and fees of $83.22--total paid in full of $2281.22 at time of booking (and I later received OBC of $120 because I caught a small window when price went down a bit)--seems to me that taxes, etc this person is being charged are excessive

[cruiser407]

I don't think she messed up. She quoted you individual prices for the cabin fare, and then she quoted a plus tax number. I do not know that I would have assumed that number was a total when the fares where quoted individually.

 

As far as the tipping is concerned you can pull the tips off your sail and sign day one of the cruise. Then you can tip who you chose how much you want to chose.

 

It's a bad situation but I'm not sure that it just is nothing more than a miscommunication. I don't think she was trying to "bait" or "switch" you.

 

She did admit that she messed up and blamed it on Carnival. Doesn't she have any recourse with them? I'm fine with the tipping-I just should have done more research about that part of it. I agree that she wasn't trying to bait and switch-I am just frustrated with the situation.

This was HER email back to me about the charges...........

"The tax was not $201.88 for everyone, which was my understanding originally. It is per person. That figure, $201.88, is arrived at by adding the $636 non-commission fare and the federal taxes/fee of $171.52, then dividing by 4. I, too, have been misled by the Carnival representative. It is like a hidden tax, which I did not know about. I'm very sorry that this is happened."

[cruiser407]

OP -- another thing you'll need to know FYI -- transfers are extra, and aren't cheap.

 

That is the ONLY other thing she told me I would have to pay for-$320 through Carnival. I booked that portion of it on my own. She told me not to worry about excursions-just get off the ship and find a cab and tell them to take us to a beach! I know better now after finding this site :)

[suziehmkr]

Since you haven't told us WHEN you are sailing, we can't tell you if you can cancel or not. We also don't know how good the deal is since you didn't tell us what kind of cabin you are in on what ship....

[cruiser407]

Since you haven't told us WHEN you are sailing, we can't tell you if you can cancel or not. We also don't know how good the deal is since you didn't tell us what kind of cabin you are in on what ship....

 

It is on the Conquest in April. She had me book an Oceanview Guarantee-WHAT does that mean?? She said that is the best way-but heck all of it sounded like the best! :confused:

[cruiser407]

The 210 per person is the port tax & fees combined. Some TA's break this out, some include it in the total. I think Carnival breaks out the taxes only and includeds the port tax in the per person quote.

 

She made a mistake, but she's not robbing you, IMO. She just didn't make the 210 PER PERSON clear to you.

 

This was HER email back to me...

"The tax was not $201.88 for everyone, which was my understanding originally. It is per person. That figure, $201.88, is arrived at by adding the $636 non-commission fare and the federal taxes/fee of $171.52, then dividing by 4. I, too, have been misled by the Carnival representative. It is like a hidden tax, which I did not know about. I'm very sorry that this is happened."

She is saying that Carnival did not make it clear to her either.

[GoinCruisin]

This was HER email back to me...

 

"The tax was not $201.88 for everyone, which was my understanding originally. It is per person. That figure, $201.88, is arrived at by adding the $636 non-commission fare and the federal taxes/fee of $171.52, then dividing by 4. I, too, have been misled by the Carnival representative. It is like a hidden tax, which I did not know about. I'm very sorry that this is happened."

 

She is saying that Carnival did not make it clear to her either.

 

She's a TA, Carnival assumes that TA's know that the taxes are per person, as most legitimate TA's do... she says she was misled by Carnival, but the truth is, she messed up... there is no way around it, she should have known better. She is trying to make you think this is Carnival's fault... and that's just wrong.

[GoinCruisin]

I am looking at my booking for the 2/12 8 day Legend cruise (balcony cabin) booked directly with my Carnival PVP--$1099 pp or $2198 total plus Fed taxes and fees of $83.22--total paid in full of $2281.22 at time of booking (and I later received OBC of $120 because I caught a small window when price went down a bit)--seems to me that taxes, etc this person is being charged are excessive

 

Your cruise fare of 1099 already included the port fees... the $83.22 is ONLY the taxes. MOST people when they quote, include the port fees (non commissionable fare) with the cruise fare (just like you would see on Carnival's site) and the taxes are extra. This TA quoted ONLY the cruise fare without ANY of the fees...and then thought the non commissionable fare was not per person, and it is.

[asoutherngal]

As a commissioned sales agent myself, I would eat the fees had I misquoted to a client. And, if I didn't and the clients cancelled I would have no one but myself to blame. I think a sit-down with friend/part time TA is in order--explore your other options and discuss it with friend/ta and if you aren't happy with the outcome, tell her that you appreciate her efforts but that you are cancelling and will book elsewhere. Better to have it all on the table and put it behind you than to do something you are not comfotable with and make yourself miserable.

[asoutherngal]

Oops, double post

[GoinCruisin]

As a commissioned sales agent myself, I would eat the fees had I misquoted to a client. And, if I didn't and the clients cancelled I would have no one but myself to blame. I think a sit-down with friend/part time TA is in order--explore your other options and discuss it with friend/ta and if you aren't happy with the outcome, tell her that you appreciate her efforts but that you are cancelling and will book elsewhere. Better to have it all on the table and put it behind you than to do something you are not comfotable with and make yourself miserable.

 

Sounds like the agent was already giving up the commission, with the prices the OP was quoted... plus, we are talking about $700... depending on WHEN in April the cruise is booked, cancelling might only bring along MORE extra fees, so that might not be an option at this point. The OP can try to downgrade to an inside cabin and that should help make up alot of the difference...