Pushy Carnival Sales Rep

[PlaneJoy]

I had this happen last week, except with RCCL.... and she called me AT WORK! She was very nice, not pushy at all but I couldn't believe she called my work number.

[stlrboo]

I'm already booked for April 2005 and am 'looking' at April 2006 to get locked in on a good rate. Haven't been bothered much at all.. must be the current 'booking' that has them staying away! :D

[ChristinaN]

I've experienced the same lately with 2 calls from the same rep after visiting the site. The rep is just okay but we had gone ahead and booked with an online agency since Carnival couldn't match their price.

 

My beef is with the turnover of these reps. I've been on two cruises (just booked the third), both booked with wonderful PVPs. But they are now both gone. The first time I was transferred to the second rep since the first one quit (I'm guessing) & luckily she was fabulous. The second time, I called my PVP & she wasn't there any more. It was really disappointing since we had built a good relationship and she was used to my pestering! ;)

[basketsiam]

I went looking for Cruises as a present for DH birthday- I went to the Carnival site and the next thing I knew, one of the sales reps called the very next morning, ruining the surprise---Told me he was going to Upgrade us for free because of the error to an Aft/Port W/Balcony on Empress Deck for only $901.00 each including port charges and taxes---sounded good until we had the tickets in our hands---$2968.93 later and with no possible way of cancelling without losing all of our money, we kept telling ourselves it would be alright, This started the 'Cruise from The Twilight Zone'. We just returned from our Cruise and as my hubby calls it "The Sail and Get Shafted A Lot' Cruise. Every time you turn around, they finesse you into a false sense that you are getting something---Yeah, it is more commonly referred to 'The Shaft'. It starts with the 1st phone call or e-mail to them---then they got you over a barrel---Buyer Beware is all I can say.

 

I'm confused.... :confused: How did a price of 901.00 per person become 2968.93 and you had no way of contesting the charge???? I read your review of the Pride, and you complained quite a bit about constantly having to buy/purchase or pay for items while onboard. Did your total include your Sail and Sign bill for the 7 day cruise, or was that simply the total for your cruise tickets? How were you "finessed" into getting something?

[Cruisequest]

I too have had the same experience as Cotton and Betsyrossapk. My PVP e-mails me occasionally with specials and except for the first call I received from her she doesn't bother me at all.

 

There was a slight increase in the price on the invoice she sent me when I first booked and I reminded her of the correct price (that she had quoted me the day of booking) and she promptly changed it for me.

 

She also said to call her a month before our cruise and she could probably tell us where are cabins are (we booked five OV guarantees) and to remind her to put complimentary champagne in all our cabins.

 

I'll use her again!

[TropicsR4me]

Lucky for me since I have not been bothered by phone calls or anything else. Maybe because I have two cruises booked at this time. I always check Carnival's web site so when I call the Rep, I am ready to book so they don't even have to sell me, I don't give them the chance !! I know it is very annoying to have any salesperson keep bugging a person to buy when they are not ready. I do like to get the e-mail specials just to keep me dreaming..........

[Reneei]

I'm confused.... :confused: How did a price of 901.00 per person become 2968.93 and you had no way of contesting the charge???? I read your review of the Pride, and you complained quite a bit about constantly having to buy/purchase or pay for items while onboard. Did your total include your Sail and Sign bill for the 7 day cruise, or was that simply the total for your cruise tickets? How were you "finessed" into getting something?

 

When the Rep. from Carnival called this was on approx. August 14th. He told me that he was giving us a free upgrade to cabin 6246 (he let me choose the cabin). He told me the 'To Be Announced Price' was $901.00 per person, tax, port charges included, so of course I booked it as I had the brochure in my hand and this was a lower price than what was quoted in the brochure and on their site. When we recieved our tickets on approx. Sept. 11th, Sure enough there is a price of $2,968.93 --- My husband called for an explanation, he was told he needed to speak to a supervisor, he waited, he talked to a Supervisor who in turn told him there was nothing they could do as it fell with-in the 30 day timeframe(it falls to 'his word against ours'). This was the price before any Sail and Sign started. I never said I was personally and constantly forced to buy anything on board. This is only an example of what I meant...The Horse Races...We sat in when they were taking bids on 'becoming an owner' of a Horse for the Race on Saturday night. What they failed to explain was whoever 'bought' the Horse for Race did not actually own it to take home, the horse had to be returned. One very young Newlywed couple we met at the Buffet area asked us to watch their horses so they could get their food, when they sat down next to us, the husband told us he had no idea he had to return the Horses at the end of the Race, win or lose, he did not know until he went to pay his bids ($185 for 2) and sign whatever document one has to sign - then he was told they were not his to keep so he was pretty upset - the rules were not very clear in the beginning-(I only hope at least 1 of his horses came in so he could reap the reward). ... Another example $99.00 for a pedicure and manicure? Seems a little steep to me, especially by day 5 the price went down to $49.00 --- It just seemed that were daily annoucements for the Spa and the Club Vacation, etc. on the P.A. and then on t.v. Sales pitches all the time and they made it sound so good - Maybe if someone posted on here not to bother with going to all the talks; that you could recap all the info on the t.v. , we wouldn't have wasted time on this issue. ... I just know there were a lot of unhappy and misled people on this cruise. If I could edit my Review, I would. The food was good in the dining room, we had a great table 148 in the back-window seat, our waiter, Delroy was great, so was Irena who served our breakfast twice. The foods in the Buffet areas were good and NO! the desserts do not taste like cardboard---very tasty stuff! My husband had a lot of good times with some of the waiters from Thailand as he has been on vacation there 3 times so the waiters were happy to hear of home. One waiter in the Buffet area almost gave himself a whiplash when he heard my husband tell our tablemates of Chaing mai in Thailand-the waiter backed up, huge smile on his face and exchanged information on Thailand but always looking over his shoulder - I understand work is work, and maybe they are not suppose to hang out with the guests, but it was nice to see a huge grin on his face. As for the Excursions, we did get a chargeback on the Sail and Sign card when I had my sudden leg problem(I thought it was just from too much walking-)---I think a lot of people would be extremely upset also if a Dr. blurted out 'You have a blood clot' without being sure-he shouldn't have made that statement. That is scary to hear, being in unfamiliar territory, not knowing what will happen next. I did have to spend time each day after my little visit to the Clinic to see if my Stats went to the Purser via e-mail like the nurse said she would do that same day (it took me going back down to see the nurse who was a different one on Duty on day 6 and nothing had been done until that time). The excursion to Mazatlan was good except, yes, the cruise lines that advertise these shops as gauranteed are in fact affilated with them so yes, they do get a % of the sales from customers off the Ship. Cabo San Lucas was very good-City Highlights Tour I think it's called---We had a nice Tour Guide, Margie we called her---Got a great deal($42.00 for a liter of Don Eduardo that would cost $275 here) on a bottle of Tequila for my son in the Mall they stop at before taking you back to the Ship. Except for the cheesy glass blowing factory, this tour was real good. It just seemed that when going to the Talk about the Ports, it all starts with a sales pitch for Bingo, then the Vacation Club person comes out and tells you how great the opportunity is (I see a few people found out it wasn't what they were led to believe and posted their opinions on this site). It would also been great if we (meaning all who wanted to dip in the pools/jacuzzi's)could have gone swimming after being in the heat, but we did not know of this rule until we read in Capers Swimming Pools and Jacuzzi's are closed while in Port. When we tried to go later in the evening 9ish--only 1 jacuzzi was open and all pools closed for clorinating. We went to the Calypso Party one evening on Lido Deck and the Group was good---When they did the Reggae version of Cat Stevens song 'Wild World' --- Well, a lot of people were very offended by this and walked off---there went the Calypso Party. Maybe you did have a more enjoyable time on your cruises, unfortunatley we did not, but don't knock me for giving my honest opinion.

[finally928]

Funny .... I also surfed Carnival's website and within two days received three phone calls from David Cuba, Personal Vacation Planner with Carnival Cruise Lines. I also received three emails from him. The # they have on file is my cell, which i can't answer during working hours unless it is an emergency, so he left me voice mails.

 

What bothered me was that i emailed him with questions on going about finding out about the ships, rooms, etc. He NEVER responded to me. Two different emails and no response.

 

Then, I forward an email from him to my boyfriend -- the one about the 'one day sale' in September. So my boyfriend calls to book the trip with David, & is told that we do not qualify for the 2 cat upgrade (still don't understand why). But since then, not one email from Carnival to me. Maybe they just haven't sent one out in a while?

 

Either way, I am not really thrilled right now with Carnival as far as booking a cruise goes. We found a lower rate on an internet site, they wouldn't match it. We receive a solicitation to book w upgrade -- we don't qualify. I email questions, they don't respond.

 

I certainly hope the ships staff is better than their office staff. I really want this to be a great trip!

[basketsiam]

When the Rep. from Carnival called this was on approx. August 14th. He told me that he was giving us a free upgrade to cabin 6246 When we recieved our tickets on approx. Sept. 11th, Sure enough there is a price of $2,968.93 --- My husband called for an explanation, he was told he needed to speak to a supervisor, he waited, he talked to a Supervisor who in turn told him there was nothing they could do as it fell with-in the 30 day timeframe(it falls to 'his word against ours').

 

I was in no way knocking you for your opinion, just confused by what was posted. Did you pay in cash, or did you use a credit card to pay for your cruise tickets? If you used a credit card, did you consider contesting the charge with your credti card company????? Considering you thought the cruise was purchased for 1802.00 total, I would certainly pursue it.....

[sashapoo]

I have not had a issue with my PVP doing things like that. My PVP is wonderful and only calls when he needs something or is returning a call from me. Now on the other hand....I have had other lines call me constantly. Some are almost stalker like....but I just get off the phone with them after taking their information so that I know who NOT to book with.

[mruhaak]

I had this happen to me. My husband works out of our home. We received calls from a Carnival rep about the "cruise we were booking in May." Of course he had no idea what they were talking about and was wondering what I was up to booking a cruise in May.

 

I wasn't...I had just been on the Carnival website researching prices for May Alaskan cruises. I just was browsing, curious for 2006.

 

I wasn't aware I'd receive phone calls. I was prepared for emails from them.

[torpeedo]

Have never had an unsolicited call from a Carnival PVP but get emails from time to time. I actually called her to get a price on a cabin for the liberty. She told me the category I wanted was not available!! :eek: I contacted my online TA and secured a cabin with no problem and it was way less than what I was quoted for a lesser level cabin. ( no surprise there really). Just surprised that I could not get a quote on a pretty wide open ship! We actually just upgraded that cruise to a Cat 11 because it was only about $85 total difference between an 8D and Cat 11.

[Reneei]

I was in no way knocking you for your opinion, just confused by what was posted. Did you pay in cash, or did you use a credit card to pay for your cruise tickets? If you used a credit card, did you consider contesting the charge with your credti card company????? Considering you thought the cruise was purchased for 1802.00 total, I would certainly pursue it.....

 

Im sorry, Basketsiam, I did not mean you personally attacked me---There's just other people who read whatever I have to say(Well one in paticular) and then I'm attacked so I thought I'd roll it into one detailed explaination so I dont have to repeat myself or start drawing stick figures to make the picture any more clearer.....Yes, we paid w/credit card, but the way our checking is set up, it is automactically deducted and paid via our bank which was done before we got the tickets. The acutal accounting from the bank came this morning. I seriously think from now on, if anyone gets a quote from an Agent or a PVP from Carnival, make it a point to have him or her confirm the amount via an e-mail before you buy then you have proof where it will matter most.

[Forchunut1]

I'm with a previous poster - I NEVER give my real phone number when I sign up for something. I also have an email account that I only use when I have to give an email address to sign up for things like this. :)

[Reva_Dearchi]

My PVP is absolutely the best! ALWAYS HELPFUL AND NEVER PUSHY! I've used her for my last two cruises. Her name is Kristina Pulido and her number is 800-819-3902 x82434. I don't know her personally and I have nothing to gain by giving you this info so I hope it's ok on these boards to pass on this valuable info to help you guys out! Tell her that her best client from Buffalo, NY sent you. :) Good Luck!

[Cotton]

[b]Remember - we're not suppose to give out the [i][u]NAME[/u][/i] of a PVP, nor talk about any other agency by name. Rules are rules. I'd love to share the name of my PVP, but it isn't allowed on the board.;) [/b]
[b][/b]
[b][u]Reneei[/u] - Sorry to be critical, but I can't make heads nor tails out of your lonnng drawn-out sentences that all run together, w/one subject following another. Could you possibly sort things out by using 'paragraphs'? Would be much easier to read and understand. I saw something about $99 man/ped at the spa. If you thought that was too high, why did you do it? Geez. Still not clear about the horses, or the amount you actually ended up paying for the cruise, etc. Too confusing. Oh well, better luck all around on your next cruise.:) [/b]

[torpeedo]

On one cruise we had taken and booked at a discount, the tickets we received actually stated a higher price , but we were not charged the higher price.. We had paid by credit card months before so we knew what we had been charged.

[suzybruner]

I have registered my TA company as part of my ID on Carnival. Because of this, the PVPs never call me, even though I browse all I want.

Suzy

[Reneei]

1. I never said I bought anything from Spa Carnival.

2. I never said I bid on a Stick Pony for a Horse Race.

3. Read the title I put on this post.

[dbcruzin]

Reneei....I tried to clear some thing up on the Thanks thread...........

[yvette28]

My PVP did me a favor by pushing me :) . I would have ended up paying $400 more for my cruise because the rates went up the very next day :eek: . He also, followed up with me to wish me "Bon Voyage" before going on the cruise and "Welcomed me home" after.

My PVP asks me to call him instead of emailing him. He gets so many email request for rates that he can not respond to all of them, especially when he is on the phone 8 or 9 hours a day. He does return my calls promptly.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED, OR YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN A SUPRISE, DON'T REGISTER! DUHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

FS 06/01/04

[CCLFreak]

actually CCL has 2 seperate dept. the PVP's are the only ones that make outboud calls. I've had bad experiences with them and usually call in and speak to the inbound department to make the bookings. I get better service that way anyhow..

[Reva_Dearchi]

My PVP is excellent, never pushy, always extremely helpful and I book with her so I can get all the direct information and then I transfer over to an agency that gives me a better price than CCL. I've done this for my past two bookings and she doesn't mind at all. If you'd like her name and number, please e-mail me and I'll be happy to pass the info on. [email]RDearchi@aol.com[/email]

[MSEm]

When you go to a web site or fill out any forms with your address, e-mail, and/or phone number (s), you are "requesting" information by from this company for 12 months. A company is allowed to call you, if they have a "relationship" with you. Filling out the form is establishing a relationship with the tele-a-marketing firm or any company.

[newfreedoms]

I don't know what the difference is, but I looked around their website, booked our room, paid our deposit online, did the fun pass, etc and have never rec'd a call, and don't think I've ever rec'd an email except perhaps the first confirmation. It might be because I've worked a little more aggressively at reducing the telemarketing calls in general and it is working wonderfully!
Got on every do not call list I could, even added the feature to our phone line that calls are rejected if they have caller id block on their numbers.
The calls have dropped tremendously! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Of course becoming an empty nester helped also (there is your hint on the login name.....[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/wink.gif[/img])
Then again, it might be my lucky day instead!