Splendor Around the Horn - problems leaving from Miami

[cruisecastle]

When are corporations going to held accountable for their actions or lack thereof?

 

When I see a doctor, do I need to verify independently whatever information I was told or whatever procedure was done? If the doctor does something wrong, or fails to disclose something, or intentionally deceives a patient, they are accountable.

 

When purchasing a cruise, full disclosure needs to be made. It is not difficult for them to do so. They have these inventions called computers that are wonderful at storing and retrieving data.

 

Huh, when are you going to take responsibility for yourself? That's a much better question.

[nolaAlive]

Now that some left behind have joined the ship in Barbados, reports indicate many people were NEVER informed by Carnival as to Visa requirements. So whoever said they were was lying. :rolleyes:

 

It sounds like Carnival sent them to Miami to obtain the Visa and then flew them to Barbados. If that is true, then Hurray for Carnival!

 

Hopefully next time, things will go smoother.

[flpab]

Nola, so glad Carnival made it right.

I read your Baltic Splendor review with great interest and knew that I would have my own visa when going to Russia after reading what you said.

I work at an airport and it is very hard knowing which country you have to have what in these days. Many travelers depend on the TA or tour company to guide them step by step, the elderly that travel don't always have computers that they can look things up on. We recently had a great cruise info day for visitors. Great info, videos, travel agents there to guide all and the majority were older retired people. They know that they need extra care and info in planning and doing a major cruise to Europe, and South America. Every major cruise line was there and I got a few minutes to grab some great tour books. You still have me hooked on the Baltic! This year it is Oktoberfest in Munich and some time in the Ardennes but next year!

[GregD]

SO check this out. I stumbled upon this. Sorry if its been posted before. (Link is a PDF)

http://*****.com/d33lsw

So basically this is a Letter sent to passengers (maybe) that explain the Visa problem.

Hopefully someone can fill me in as to who this is intended for

[cruisecastle]

SO check this out. I stumbled upon this. Sorry if its been posted before. (Link is a PDF)

http://*****.com/d33lsw

So basically this is a Letter sent to passengers (maybe) that explain the Visa problem.

Hopefully someone can fill me in as to who this is intended for

 

Yes that is the letter eacn and EVERY passenger received (unless their travel agent dropped the ball) It even inlcudes a link to get your Visa. It was very smooth and the company had the visas to most people within 2 weeks. The LA office took up to two months but it was still very smooth

[cruisecastle]

Now that some left behind have joined the ship in Barbados, reports indicate many people were NEVER informed by Carnival as to Visa requirements. So whoever said they were was lying. :rolleyes:

 

It sounds like Carnival sent them to Miami to obtain the Visa and then flew them to Barbados. If that is true, then Hurray for Carnival!

 

Hopefully next time, things will go smoother.

 

They are lying ALL of them were sent the information now whether the recieved or not is their problem and moot. If you don't know the rules of traveling you should have a competent agent and if you don't you have nobody to blame but yourself

[nolaAlive]

Huh, when are you going to take responsibility for yourself? That's a much better question.

 

 

I feel so privileged to have such an obnoxious, harassing stalker monkey following me around. :rolleyes::p

[nolaAlive]

SO check this out. I stumbled upon this. Sorry if its been posted before. (Link is a PDF)

http://*****.com/d33lsw

So basically this is a Letter sent to passengers (maybe) that explain the Visa problem.

Hopefully someone can fill me in as to who this is intended for

 

It suggests that Carnival did indeed know not only the Brazil Visa requirements for US citizens, but also, every other country on the planet. Many have suggested there was no way they could.

 

Too bad Carnival didn't provide that information to each and every passenger.

[nolaAlive]

They are lying ALL of them were sent the information now whether the recieved or not is their problem and moot. If you don't know the rules of traveling you should have a competent agent and if you don't you have nobody to blame but yourself

 

A good reputation goes far, a bad reputation goes farther. You do not have a good reputation and your credibility is lower than George W's. ;)

[Slimpickins]

i feel so privileged to have such an obnoxious, harassing stalker monkey following me around. :rolleyes::p

 

lmao, that was very good response :)

[ikelmay]

HA!! Sorry' date=' I'm retired after 32 years doing that!!!!:p

 

But............most people need an agent. They simply aren't knowledgeable enough to do their own international travel......[/quote']

 

Absolute rubbish as per usual..... the seismic shift in the travel industry due to so many people successfully arranging their travel plans themselves has resulted in a worldwide contraction in the number of agents. The only ones surviving are those who have either adapted successfully to the new environment or who are actually any good.

 

Your occasional good advice is so often drowned out by your irrational rants and personal prejudice.

[cruisecastle]

A good reputation goes far, a bad reputation goes farther. You do not have a good reputation and your credibility is lower than George W's. ;)

 

No surprise what your politics are since you don't believe in taking responsibility for your self and spread lies about good companies.

[cruisecastle]

It suggests that Carnival did indeed know not only the Brazil Visa requirements for US citizens, but also, every other country on the planet. Many have suggested there was no way they could.

 

Too bad Carnival didn't provide that information to each and every passenger.

 

They provided it to each passenger that booked directly with them and to each agency that booked passengers. Further it was on the web and available by phone. In this world sometimes you still need to take a little initiative and take some responsibility for yourself. I know this is difficult for many since they prefer to be taken care of by the government and don't want to have to fend for themselves

[boaterette]

Well after reading this thread I think that Carnival should have known that at least 10% of its clientel were Carnibillies. When booking on line The screen should have had a disclaimer in a large bolded font that said a visa may be required check with the state department. It should have even been a flashing sign. When booking over the phone the pvp should have said the same thing and made the client repeat it several times so that there would be no misunderstanding. Well except for those that don't know what a visa is and may have thought they just needed a credit card that was a visa.

[czechgal]

This is what Jamie, the CD on the Splendor posted about the situation. Still makes you wonder if this communcation didn't make it from TA to passenger in a situation where it is a group booking? Or a booking from a TA, not Carnival PVP? There is a chance that was the situation and no need for everyone to be such jerks about it...jeesh!

 

From John's blog: http://johnhealdsblog.com/2009/02/02/a-blog-from-la-petite-chambre/

"We were able to resume embarkation around 7:30 pm and we finally admitted our final guests around 9:15 pm. We also had difficulty embarking some guests because apparently they were not aware that they needed a Brazilian visa in order to visit the Brazilian ports this cruise! Now, it is my understanding that we did inform all guests around October 20, that they would need a special visa in order to sail with us. Unfortunately, some guests did not comply with this regulation and thus they were either left behind trying to consult with the Brazilian authorities in hopes of meeting the ship in Dominica or they are on the ship, trying to sort out this issue and hoping to get off in the Brazilian ports and if not, they are just planning on enjoying all the fun excitement that exists on board the Carnival Splendor!"

 

Who knows. I had a friend go on her first cruise for a family reunion last year and when I asked where she was going/what line, etc, she had no clue, she just said her plane leaves on "Saturday and (she) sails from Miami". She didn't do any research, and had no idea about what to bring for i.d./passport/birth certificate. Some people just don't bother themselves (or take responsibility) for/with researching what they may need for embarkation (or the group information only makes it to one person instead of the whole group, like my friends situation). Baffles me.

[boaterette]

So it would appear that they were allowed on the ship if they wanted but just couldn't do any tours. So three hundred people decided that if they couldn't get off in Brazil then they weren't going. Sounds rather ridiculous.

[czechgal]

It isn't very clear how many stayed behind and how many boarded is it? As it says above:"or they are on the ship, trying to sort out this issue and hoping to get off in the Brazilian ports and if not, they are just planning on enjoying all the fun excitement that exists on board the Carnival Splendor!" Maybe someone, when they are done with the cruise, will report back and give us the scoop!:)

 

I just don't understand the hostility on the board about it at all. Someone goofed, who, we will probably never know, but really, I DON"T CARE! :confused:

 

I just know that I take responsibilty for myself and family, and if someone else doesn't, that is their problem. AND it is not my place to pass judgement.;)

[nolaAlive]

No surprise what your politics are since you don't believe in taking responsibility for your self and spread lies about good companies.

 

How nice. My pet stalker monkey is back. As usual, you continue to spread manure. How many threads have you fertilized, today? It seems everyone but you knows who the liar is.

[tinybabynurse]

I know this is from "Brand =X=" but if you open this link then click where it says "click here" just under the word VISA it will open a PDF file that has visa requirements for many countries.

 

Brazil has a lot of requirements and you must send your passport to get the visa stamped. You must use it within 90 days of issue or it becomes invalid.... Lots of good stuff on this PDF file.

 

Copy and paste or click:

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do;jsessionid=00002dYU3P3FX60TnBK7ruugIjr:12hdbcuh7?faqSubjectName=Shore+and+Land+Excursions&faqId=1783&pagename=faq_answers

[G'ma]

Absolute rubbish as per usual..... the seismic shift in the travel industry due to so many people successfully arranging their travel plans themselves has resulted in a worldwide contraction in the number of agents. The only ones surviving are those who have either adapted successfully to the new environment or who are actually any good.

 

Your occasional good advice is so often drowned out by your irrational rants and personal prejudice.

 

Thanks for your remarks. Another fan, I see.

 

While it's true there has been a "seismic" shift in the travel industry (being a part of that shift since deregulation of the airline industry in 1980), it's also true that most people don't have the knowledge, the experience nor the resources to book anything much more complicated that a roundtrip domestic airline ticket.....

 

It's equally true that there are way too many "travel agents" who don't have a clue what they are doing, have never cruised, never travelled abroad, never been anywhere north or south of our borders. They will say anything to make a sale....whether the information they are giving out is correct is irrelevant. They are untrained and incompetent.

 

That being said, there are still very good, very professional agents and agencies out there. It behooves the traveler to find one. Instead of trying to find the agent with the best price, they should spend time finding a good one by asking questions. Simple things like how long they've been an agent, have they ever cruised, have they actually seen the ship they are selling? Where have they traveled. How long they've worked for their current agency. How long has the agency been in business. Does the agency have all it's licenses and appointments? Does it belong to CLIA, ASTA, ARTA and other professional groups? Is it a "cruise only" agency or do they sell and write airline tickets also.

 

One last thing, personal prejudices are not part of my persona......this board is simply a place to exchange ideas, answer questions, give opinions...it has nothing to do with personalities. Ones persons "rant" is another persons information. Some are ostrich-like, others want facts.

[GregD]

"or they are on the ship, trying to sort out this issue and hoping to get off in the Brazilian ports and if not, they are just planning on enjoying all the fun excitement that exists on board the Carnival Splendor!"

 

Wait so you can just stay onboard w/o a visa while in Brazil

[North of 60]

Whether we on CC use a TA or not the vast majority of cruises are booked through TAs. It is the TAs responsibility to make sure that their clients have the correct documents.

 

 

BS - It is the PASSENGER's responsibility to ensure they have the correct documentation.

[cruisecastle]

BS - It is the PASSENGER's responsibility to ensure they have the correct documentation.

 

Exactly. Plus why would you risk it in the hands of anyone else? No sense of self responsibility left in this world. Sad actually

[cruisecastle]

How nice. My pet stalker monkey is back. As usual, you continue to spread manure. How many threads have you fertilized, today? It seems everyone but you knows who the liar is.

 

Again if you hate Carnival so much and constantly call the company and their employees liars why do you cruise with them?

[zqvol]

Carnival is not responsible for obtaining the documents, they are responsible for providing information on what the requirements.

 

Once upon a time, people in a service industry actually performed a service. I suppose like the post office, they too are now going to want a bailout package.

 

Sorry, but they are not responsible for telling you what docs you need to travel, that is entirely your own responsibility.

 

No cruise line would have any fault here unless they specifically told you that you did not need a particular document.

 

Carnival is not in a service industry. They are a travel company.

 

Once upon a time people took responsibility for their own actions, wouldn't that be a pleasant treat today!