Odd Email - from Carnival??

[abmom]

I just received a weird email....one that usually would go to my spam folder, but for some reason it didn't. The from header shows up as "IRBFAXAA0407A" and the subject is "IMPORTANT NOTICE - IMPORTANT INFORMATION".

 

Looks like spam, but for whatever reason I opened it and checked the header details and it appears to have came from "<XXXXXX@carnival.com>". It's a blank email, with an attachment. In the attachment preview, I can see that it appears to be a letter from Carnival. It's got their logo at the top, and looks letter like.

 

Does Carnival send out info like this or is it a scam/virus and just coincidental that I'm cruising with them in 3 weeks? I don't know enough about computers to be sure, but I do know enough not to open attachments that look suspect. :)

[SCUBADOO414]

I received one today too, from AIFAX:Reservations. It included our reservation number as well as my first and last name and the attachment was in .tif format. I was worried about opening it but finally did this evening and it was our reservation contract. I'm such a rebel! :D

[andychris]

I would be concerned also but from reading these boards many people are saying that it is the change in dining times. Instead of set dining times there is anytime dining. I could be wrong but this is what I have been reading.

Enjoy your cruise!!

[FabFourLover]

Don't open it! Call your TA or your PVP with Carnival and ask if any emails have been sent to you regarding your cruise or if there is anything you need to know with regard to your cruise. Tell them about the email you got. Carnival will want to know someone is using their name to spam you.

Attachments from unknown senders are a big no-no. An official email from Carnival would have a name of whoever you've been dealing with, not XXXXX@carnival.com

[PaddleAddict]

I have gotten e-mails like this from Carnival (once it was about an upsell request), but I have to say I DON'T LIKE THIS. Carnival should know better than to send attachments like that. Why can't they just send the text in the e-mail?

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Just scan the email with your antivirus first.

 

Or you can forward to one of us to take a look.

 

:p

[rdreid]

I got one too, I was not going to open, but I noticed it said carnival, and we are going in two months, so I opened it, and it was a letter telling me about the new open dining, and told me how to change my reservation if I wanted too, but it did look scary. I am not saying open though, it may not be that. :) good luck

[Rowan555]

I've gotten blank emails from Carnival with attached .tif files on numerous occasions - anything from booking confirmations, to notice of cruise cancellation, to correspondence regarding the fuel supplement. I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, if someone were trying to send you a virus, they'd likely use something other than a .tif file.

[trvlmil]

Hi

 

I received an email like that the other day and I opened it but would not open the attachement. I forwarded it to my PVP to confirm that it was from Carnival. He responded that it was definitely from Carnival. I then opened the attachement and it was a letter explaining the new anytime dining option

 

I also thought it was suspicious! But it turned out to be fine.

[carm225]

I've gotten emails like that from Carnival before about the fuel surcharge. I think it's crazy that they send important information in attachments like that, yet they can send us normal emails with sales and other info to get you to book a cruise. :rolleyes:

[francina]

When I first book with my cruise I received two tiff files attachments. I wasn't concern about opening tif file, however, if it was an .exe extesion I would have been leary.

[abmom]

Thanks for the advice. Like I said, I don't know enough about computers to ever be confident, but it did look strange. Finally just decided to open it and see, since some of you had received similar emails. Turns out they were informing me that I could go onto my cruise details to see which dining time I'd received. Gee thanks, I already did that last week. :)

[poobears]

Yes I've gotten them, I agree they need a better email system that makes the sender look more legit than their garbled letters.

[lcantwait]

I open the one I got yesterday and it was information regarding the "Your time" dining option available on my Jan 2010 Dream cruise! I didn't think twice about opening it.:o

[deepnite10]

NCL does the same thing..i guess it s like a mass mailing..

[Magic City Cruiser]

Yep, I got it and I didn't like it. I knew it was prolly legit because I had received a similar one after the fuel surcharge was dropped. Then, like now, I figured I'd hear something on cruise critic! I meant to forward it to my PVP but forgot.

I NEVER open attachments unless I'm darn sure I know who it's from. After a virus killed my computer I got from an attachment sent by a friend (it wasn't from the friend) I'm extra careful and frankly, I think it's pretty stupid of Carnival to send attachments instead of just putting the darn info in the body of the emal.

So, now I'm off to search the boards to see what the email said!

[ladycaveat]

I just received a weird email....one that usually would go to my spam folder, but for some reason it didn't. The from header shows up as "IRBFAXAA0407A" and the subject is "IMPORTANT NOTICE - IMPORTANT INFORMATION".

 

Looks like spam, but for whatever reason I opened it and checked the header details and it appears to have came from "<XXXXXX@carnival.com>". It's a blank email, with an attachment. In the attachment preview, I can see that it appears to be a letter from Carnival. It's got their logo at the top, and looks letter like.

 

Does Carnival send out info like this or is it a scam/virus and just coincidental that I'm cruising with them in 3 weeks? I don't know enough about computers to be sure, but I do know enough not to open attachments that look suspect. :)

 

I got the same email and just deleted it . . . without opening. I rely on my PVP to let me know of anything "important" from Carnival.

[old sole]

That's how their auto-generated emails from their reservations system arrive. I agree it's screwy, and I'll bet a big % of them don't get opened. Dining time notice ? Who cares. Message to pay an overdue final payment or get cancelled ? Big problem.

[tulman]

Received the same thing a couple of days ago. Was very hesistant,:o but opened it, trusting my antivirus program.

 

I'm still here:D

 

I agree that CCL should have a different system.

[Freckles_51]

I booked through a TA, would such info go to her and not directly to me?

[jayscore]

I'm glad I opened my last (months ago) "important message". It was the one telling me they lifted the fuel surcharge!:rolleyes:

[RjayB]

Don't open it! Call your TA or your PVP with Carnival and ask if any emails have been sent to you regarding your cruise or if there is anything you need to know with regard to your cruise. Tell them about the email you got. Carnival will want to know someone is using their name to spam you.

 

Attachments from unknown senders are a big no-no. An official email from Carnival would have a name of whoever you've been dealing with, not XXXXX@carnival.com

 

 

 

I cant tell if you are serious or sarcastic:rolleyes:

It's obviously an "official" email from Carnival...not some kind of scam.

[hotpinkpanther]

I booked through a TA, would such info go to her and not directly to me?

I am booked with a TA and got one concerning the anytime dining. I used to be leery of opening these emails until I figured out that is the way Carnival does things.

[Nezmo]

Why TIF is what I want to know. I mean really. JPG would be better if they need it to be an image. PDF would be better or just HTML or text. I guess it just parallels their terrible Website.

[falkcor]

Why TIF is what I want to know. I mean really. JPG would be better if they need it to be an image. PDF would be better or just HTML or text. I guess it just parallels their terrible Website.

 

i agree that tif is a kinda peculiar format... the only thing i can assume is that they're maybe scanning actual printed letters? i've seen a few like that. scanners seem to like the tif format, though nothing else really does. granted, there are other options (like jpeg, etc. even without adobe pro), but seems to me like old school file formats / practices...

 

definitely not saying these are best practices. i think it's pretty crappy, actually.

 

btw - best of luck and have fun on liberty in a few days... nice room :cool: