Carnival cancels cruise for 110 passengers

[INCHARGE]

I wonder if this group was offered the New York 8-day cruise instead. This is what others cancelled were offered. They were even bussed to NY by CCL. Maybe there were not enough cabins to cover this large a group. They should be compensated with a better option. As stated before, if we cancel this close to sailing, we have to pay. This is not fair to these people.

[vermonter16]

Their TA should be looking out for these folks and also doing the legwork to get them some kind of compensation. I would actually be glad to be bumped off our 10/24 sailing if that meant an 8 day legend cruise or a 50% off a different cruise...since the itinerary has changed I haven't been as excited to go....I already did all my research for the original itinerary...but now who knows what it will be. I am with a group that also has well over 120 people going and the TA is having a doc party this Friday.... She assured us a month ago that we would not be bumped and was well aware that it was going on.... In fact we always know what our cabin will be an average of four months before we ever sail.... I don't know how she does it but she does....

 

I do think that Carnival should ask future passengers (like in the airline industry) if they would willingly give up their sailing and be compensated....instead of just bumping other folks. And the compensation wouldn't have to be gigantic since it would be volunteer....

 

vermonter16

[Legend]

A friend of mine was called to see if she would change her sailing on this ship. She was offered free airfare to Los Angeles or Miami depending on the ship she chose and a Balcony cabin. She was booked in a 1A. I sometimes think the whole story isn't posted when it comes to things like this and people get the entirely wrong impression of Carnival. They are NOT going to ask someone who lives in Baltimore to chamge to a ship in another state and not offer to pay the airfare!!!

[cyndepet]

To the posters who are worried about getting bumped from the Miracle (from Tampa?) - I think this is only an issue with Baltimore sailings. Due to the limited number of sailings from Baltimore this year, and the huge demand, Carnival severely overbooked. I don't think this will be an issue for future sailings once the Miracle moves back to Florida.

[imosoreal]

This post caught my attention because the women's ministry at my church in DC is on the October 17th cruise. I know there are quite a few attending (at least 200). They booked last October too but I believe the church paid all of the money up front and then collected from the women later. I still wonder how they decide who gets bumped.

[Kittymama]

What are you doughting the media?

 

I'm not excusing what happened, but why doubt the media? Um, try faxed documents from Kinkos, among other things. I used to be a reporter myself, so let me assure you that there is no such thing as unbiased media. The biggest crock foisted on the American public is that the media are some sort of all-knowing, unbiased, truthful beings. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They have an angle, & they will spin it every time. It would be far more honest if US media, like world media, simply acknowledged their bias. That doesn't diminish their reporting abilities, it just lets the rest of us know what angle they're likely to take on a story.

 

As far as the Carnival story is concerned, you'll find that Carnival, like other big corps., is a favorite whipping-boy. It makes for a much "sexier" story to put them across as the big bad evil villians who shaft people. I do think it sucks for the church group to lose out. I can only imagine how disappointed I'd be if that happened to me. I am curious as to whether they were offered the New York option mentioned elsewhere.

 

For those who are CCL stockholders--you have a valid point about how something like this can affect Carnival's reputation. In all seriousness--since you are a stockholder, have you thought about perhaps attending Carnival's next stockholder meeting & raising some of these issues? That's an ideal forum to get Bob Dickinson's ear, literally.

[sgriff17]

Yes this is true, but why don't we hear about RCI bumping people out of Baltimore?

 

Probably b/c we're on a Carnival chat board....just my guess though.

 

On a serious note - I have heard of other cruiselines bumping people. RCCL for example is mentioned at the beginning of this post.

[nae418]

Hello Everyone:

 

This makes me very nervous, my DH and I have been on 8 cruises and our children were always too young to go. Now they are older, and I have planned a big family cruise with my entire family for next year and there

will be 52 of us going. We are not leaving from Baltimore, but if this happens to us, considering 50 of my family member will be 1st time cruisers, I don't what I will do!! most of us will do Disney in Miami before we sail, some will do Disney after we sail. We booked April 2004 for a August 2005 sailing. Our children and SO excited!! so far, almost $10,000 paid.

 

This is not fair!! Those poor people!!!

 

With our group, we have for cabin assignments already, not that this will make a difference if we get cancelled, but we wanted certain cabins and

was assigned shortly after we booked. Please dear god don't let this happen to us!!

 

DH and I just got back from 9/19-9/26 sailing on Destiny. will post review later.

Happy sailing to all....

[cusyl]

My travel agent assures me that we can't be cancelled because our final payments have been made. Without reading the entire thread, has anyone been cancelled after final payments have been made?

[derf5585]

the women's ministry at my church in DC is on the October 17th cruise

 

I am on that cruise also. No one is on the Roll Call for that cruise except my Wife and I. Maybe you could clue them into the CruiseCritic boards and we could get together.

[imosoreal]

I did mention CC to a few of them and for all I know they could very well be lurking. The church is Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church and if your wife would like information on what they have planned on the cruise that week feel free to call (202) 529-4547.

[disneylynn]

I am getting nervous about my Miracle cruise out of tampa, So I called Carnival. They said they never heard of this happening. The guy on the phone said it had to do with the T.A. over booking there cabins.

He assured me that it won't happen to my group. ( we will see).

[MrPete]

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/3783260/detail.html

[glrounds]

Pete,

 

For what it's worth, I've used the agency mentioned in the article for my last 3 cruises.

 

Always received e-mail confirmation of the booking within minutes of the purchase replete with their confirmation # and Carnival's booking #. I then immediately go to Carnival's website, enter my booking # and get confirmation from Carnival also and fill in the FUN SHIP PASS while I'm there. :)

 

All monies pass DIRECTLY to Carnival.

 

The only difference in my situation would be that I pay in full when booking because I always book "last minute" (4-5 days before the cruise). :confused: Always pickup my docs at the pier and NEVER have had one hitch. (last 2 cruises got a nice upgrade as well). :)

[ArkansasFish]

I would NEVER book in a group cruise.

Each of the people could have booked on their own.(AND choose the room) And if they had of paid with a credit card, they would not have a problem.

I am sick of hearing about it.

The only group cruises that I ever heard about were ones where someone was getting something for free for doing the booking and they were OVER priced.

What benifit does a person get for going in on a group cruise?

Has anyone gotten any benefit?

[gaynelle]

Yes, actually I have recieved something for booking with a group. That just happened to be $100.00 on board credit and a 2 cat. upgrade. The price I paid was exactly the same as the individual booking that I canceled to book with the group. I could care less if someone gets to go at a reduced rate or something else for free. Its takes a lot of work to get a cruise organized. The person deserves it.

[GoinCruisin]

Hmmm, booking on a group cruise perks? Lower prices, group cocktail party, onboard credit... Just did the S&S cruise, received many perks and got an EXCELLENT rate on our room (didn't care about booking a specific cabin, book guarantees anyway)... met SO MANY people I would not have met otherwise... had an EXCELLENT time! Doing it again in May and October... I am all for the group leader getting whatever! There is SO much work that goes into organizing these cruises... I will book a group cruise from here on out :D

[richfret]

So what you are saying, Big Doug, is that it really does not matter if a corporation does some thing utterly rotten to it's customers just as long as all the other corporations are doing the same thing. In addition, since the terminal is a poor facility, all the more reason to punish the passengers. OK............. I think I got it straight now.

[PINEVIEW01]

..who knows, perhaps there was some analysis here.... as one could assume that a "church" group might not be as profitable (drinks and gambling) as some other random group of people...hmmmm :rolleyes:

 

Tom

I thought the same thing myself!