lensonlife

Question: 1st cancellation out of NYC last April for June 2020 sail resulted in a new booking for this June, also cancelled. Because I didn’t want Carnival to be holding all the money, I requested a refund for the first cancelled cruise- less the amount needed to book the second one- $500. I was informed this $500 would essentially be recognized as a cancellation fee (we didn’t cancel, Carnival did), and the $500 was applied toward our new booking. However, it does not show as a deposit. It reduced the overall dollar amount of the cruise which was $3151.28. Then they needed a $50 cash deposit for whatever reason. So the ending balance owed was $2601.28. When you look at my booking- you can’t see where the cost was ever $3151.28- it instead shows as $2651.28 reduced to $2601.28 after a reflected $50 deposit. My question is what will happen to that $500? While it doesn’t reflect as such on the website, will they see it/understand it when I call? 

1 hour ago, Bowman1 said:

We have sailed 18 times on 7 different lines and we always take our over the door shoe hanger (generally we hang it facing into the cabin over the bathroom door)

 

We find it extremely useful for small, high use cruise items (sunscreen, swim goggles, bottle openers, cork screws, sunglasses, etc)

 

We have never had an issue with it on Carnival (out last sailing was Paradise in Feb 2020)

We also hang ours facing in towards cabin- so good for all those things mentioned!! 

We also bring one, as well as one for the shower (mesh organizer), and the magnetic hooks for the wall. We pack them full!! They have significantly helped to keep the room free of clutter. We store much more than toiletries in the pockets. 

I’m not sailing until next June from NYC. I work for state government and my vacation has been approved, but we’ve also just been informed that even prior approvals will need to be reconsidered if they will require quarantine. Due to the imminent nature of my work (front end child protection) there would be a significant impact if I were out of the office for a whole month. Or rather work office- yesterday the order was extended for VT state employees to continue teleworking through to end of March 2021. Right now we are not allowed to leave our small county unless it’s for essential purposes only (I live within walking distance of NH, and 30 minutes from MA and 15 minutes from the next county so this feels very confining). Definitely feel like we’re right back where we started, and while some orders have been lifted- not feeling too optimistic that they are going to get me on that June/July sail (due to the work situation). I do value the approach of isolation. It’s absolutely necessary, I just understand the fatigue. It’s real. I’m dreaming of warm breezes and tropical adventures. I’m glad to know we may have the option to change dates! 

3 days and 23 pages in, I have finally finished reading your review which I thoroughly appreciated and LOVED!! It brought me great joy! What a sweet adventure you had with your bride! My husband was born in Hawaii and would really like to travel there someday. We’ve been together 26 years, married for 23- so maybe for our 25th! I am going to now read all of your reviews. I laughed a good many of times at the husband daycare 😂. 

10 hours ago, shof515 said:

I am also booked on the Magic out of NYC for June 2021. The only thing i fear is they might be some dancing of the ships again between now and then. I wont be surprised if there is a ship change for these cruises

That’s a real possibility. 

We are scheduled to sale Magic out of NYC in June 2021 after cancellation of 9 day NYC Radiance June 2020. It hardly seems like something to even get excited about. I received  a refund from the prior cruise- with the exception of $500 which I had transferred to new booking along with a tiny cash deposit. I do not dare to make further payments. I do not feel bitter- I understand entirely. But boy, would I ever love to cruise!!! Anyone thinking they’ll pull the ships out of NYC for 2021?

We were scheduled to sail a 9 day Journeys out of NYC this past June to Caribbean on Radiance 😢

Our Journeys cruise out of NYC in June was obviously cancelled so we finished some projects around the house and then drove up to Bar Harbor, ME (we live in VT). They were using the QR codes there and it was very easy to navigate. We rebooked out of NYC next June, but am not feeling very confident that sail will happen (even if some ships are moving by then). 

1 minute ago, aladybysea said:

I don’t know if I believe that they are actually processing these by cruise date. We had a back to back with March 25 being the first of the two sailings. Submitted our request on March 15 and we have yet to see any penny refunded. Carnival shows the refund request on that date as they were called in. Yet I see others getting refunded for dates after ours.  Wondering if there’s any rhyme or reason to how they are doing things.

I had stopped checking my account- I entirely expected not to receive a refund within the 90 days, and I have no idea if there is a method to the madness. I am glad to have received the money- I hope you get yours! I am also hoping to reinvest and actually make that sail next summer🤞 

Was very surprised to receive our refund today for the 6/29 cancelled Radiance cruise. We rebooked on 4/06 for a cruise next summer and with that booking our refund was requested as we had paid for our cruise through PayPal (using our checking account). And apparently when you pay with PayPal they HAVE to refund you (can’t just transfer to the new booking). This is what our PVP told us. They were able to transfer the deposit- we have $550 invested in the new booking. I’m thinking of putting the refund in savings instead of crediting it to our new booking right away. 

Is it Half Moon Cay that sometimes gets missed due to wind? I can’t remember if that was the port or not- I might have read about it here, but if so I wouldn’t choose based solely on that being one of the options. That said, Eagle Beach at Aruba was so dreamy- the most perfect beach day!!! We would go again. We also really enjoyed Curaçao! We didn’t go to the beach there though- so I have no review of that, but the town was fantastic! We too like to choose an itinerary that takes us to at least one new place- PR and St. Thomas will be our next (and a return to Grand Turk). We were supposed to sail a 9 day Journeys cruise out of NYC in June on the Radiance, but obviously canceled. We rescheduled for next June on Breeze’s sister ship- the Magic. I was looking forward to sailing the “new” Radiance, but feel the Dream ships are probably a better fit for us (I do like the Vista ships and really thought I would miss the aft pool on the Radiance- which the Magic has). That said, I know you said itinerary is more important than ship! I would definitely get to Aruba!!!

6 hours ago, trummy said:

No, we always fly or drive in the day before just for this reason.

 

We do the same, but were panicked last June when our flights were delayed one after another and eventually canceled with NO other flight heading out (Worcester MA). I flipped! There were 6 of us and I just lost it. They ended up calling and paying for two Ubers- shuttled is to Boston, put us up in a hotel, and paid for our flights first thing the next morning. They also offered to reimburse our meals- we didn’t bother. We sacrificed the lodging in Miami where we had planned to stay because it was too late to cancel. I have to say, we felt very lucky because we did not have insurance! AND there were others who were piling into Boston the next day on our flight who also missed that flight- but they did not get the same treatment we did. We won’t attempt to fly from Worcester again! We were SO relieved to finally make the ship 😌

2 hours ago, mslhb said:

Was booked 5/23 on the Panorama. Switched to Mardi Gras July 2021. Is it sad that I’m super bummed I keep missing Matt Mitcham as my cruise director. He was on vacation during our Vista sailing. Should have been subbing in for Emma on our now cancelled Panorama sailing. Now hoping he is on for our Mardi Gras trip. Total first world problem but a big part of why we enjoy Carnival over other lines is the fun atmosphere and cruise directors.

I’m so sorry you’re missing your vacation and the experience you had anticipated. The world and all the sadness and reality is stirring around us. And more than ever, we want to retreat to a place that has once before provided us with an escape from our wicked crazy lives. I 101% understand 💙✨

Rebooked our cancelled 6/29/2020 Radiance out of NYC for a 6/29/2021 Magic out of NYC. Really disappointed we’re not sailing before then, but not feeling we can align our schedule with the care needs of our child (first sail sans child), and believe it will be best to let the “dust” settle. We’re planning a New England “staycation”. We live in VT- can walk to NH and drive to NH, ME, MA, CT, RI, NY, and (nearly) Canada in 2-3 hours. Not that Canada is an option.

6 hours ago, outdoors27 said:

What's wrong with the people that were looking forward to cruising in a few weeks.  Was it realistic? Probably not but at least they were trying to be positive.  I was looking forward to my cruise at the end of June, which probably won't happen now, but it was something my family and I were hoping for.  Things kinda suck right now so people trying to be positive doesn't mean they don't get it.  I'm in LE and go to work everyday, grab OT and still instructing at several police academies up until this week.  Do I worry about bring things home yup, but that's life. So I'm still gonna still enjoy it as much as possible based on the circumstances and look forward to cruising maybe in August and three booked for next year.

I was hopeful that I’d be sailing at the end of June, but that ended with the cancellation of the Radiance. As we’ve been told from the beginning, this situation is/was fluid. Even the president had a timeline of Easter and with that, cruisers were hopeful. There is no harm in hope. We sail when we’re told it’s safe to sail. Nobody actually knows what we are doing at home- and I think most are in compliance with recommendations. I work child protection investigations, and really wanted that vacation (which I rebooked for June 2021). I hope you get yours. Stay safe out there! 

On 4/4/2020 at 12:32 AM, Wanna_Cruize said:

Thanks for that. I had sent in the form linked to the cancellation email I got, and marked it for FCC/OBO. However, in my cruise manager the cruise is still appearing for April 11th. I was thinking about clicking on the Cancel button but was nervous because it's still saying $1300 penalty will be assessed. 

I spoke with my PVP yesterday- and I can no longer access my information on the website. When I try to login it says the page is currently under maintenance- is this specific to me while they update my booking or is this showing with everyone? I canceled my June 2020 Radiance that has technically been canceled by Carnival,  and rebooked a 2021. I had to pay $50 of a $250  deposit to secure the cruise. He said the $500 “cancellation” fee will transfer within the next few days, but they can’t transfer the rest (I was paid in full), because I paid with PayPal and apparently they can’t do that. That said, they have to refund me the remaining balance after the $500 cancellation fee- which I can then use to re-apply on the new booking. SUCH a pain. He also told me that while he had no real idea or guarantee, he thought maybe a week. I won’t hold my breath for that and honestly believe it could be weeks/months. I’m mostly curious about not being able to access my account. 

On 4/6/2020 at 7:55 PM, lagienomai said:

I had forgot about that but yes Vista did have the tide pool. It's been almost 3 years so had forgotten. That said the Magic is a great ship. Sailing the Breeze next which seems to be a favorite for alot of people. 

4 hours ago, dan4182 said:

 

 

The Breeze and the Magic are almost identical, sister ships.
 

 

 

I ended up rescheduling on the Magic (out of NYC) for June into July of 2021- reserved balcony stateroom 10290 on Lido which is the last stateroom before all the Lido hoopla. I found an old CC post that talked about that stateroom- and there were great reviews. So we’re happy. Disappointed that this June 2020 vacation slipped through our fingers, but understand and are going to let things settle for a year.

35 minutes ago, lagienomai said:

I love the Magic. Sailed on her twice. If you liked the Sunshine you should like the Magic. She does have fridges in all rooms. I know with the Sunshine not all rooms have them. The Sunshine was my first ship I sailed on followed by the Magic. While I havent sailed Horizon I have been on Vista. To me Vista is my least favorite ship. Magic is nice as it has four extra hot tubs on the Lanai. In the evenings they are never crowded. There is the added aft pool that The Sunshine and Horizon is lacking (unless you stay in Havana of course or count the pool in Serenity on Sunshine). 

The Horizon does have an aft “Tides” pool- this is where I spent the majority of my time when I was on the Horizon. I don’t think I would choose to sail the Sunshine again, and that aft pool is what I was fearing I would miss most on the Radiance- that said, I like the ports of call and the fact that we didn’t have to fly (something we’ve never not had to do). We did enjoy our Sunshine vacation though! Thank you for your feedback. Here is a pic of Horizon’s Tide pool and hot tubs (looking over Havana). 🙂

We’ve sailed the Sunshine and the Horizon. Given canceled Radiance, we are now looking at several options. Magic out of NYC 2021 looks like a good option for us- given that my husband and I are trying to vacation sans child, and we do not want to sail during her school vacations- it looks like we are putting this off for another year.  Also, not a deal breaker, but are there refrigerators in the inside cabins? How are the beds? 

I also received a call from a PVP a couple of days ago and was happy because now I have his contact information and another alternative for Carnival bookings. I simply informed him that we did not know what we wanted to do yet, but short of my husband losing his job (which is not being spoken of yet), we plan to sail- just not in the immediate future. Where from and to are decisions we still need to make. He was very understanding- no pressure. 

8 minutes ago, BroadwayGirl said:

That’s kinda what I’m thinking. It’s tough to be in limbo and they have to have some kind of worst case scenario discussion to pull the sailings from sale. Guessing right now they just don’t want anyone else booking cruises “in jeopardy” of not sailing. At this point, I’m thinking they’ll be lucky to get it done, crewed, and ready to be here by August but who knows. 

I just saw on tonight’s news that Spain is the third hardest hit Country by COVID-19 after USA and Italy. That’s where our ship is. 

14 minutes ago, BroadwayGirl said:

We’re over here waiting on the same decision sadly to see if we’ll sail or not. 

I was definitely surprised there wasn’t more information in that communication today. I mean, if Carnival knows 100% that Radiance isn’t sailing before November- it seems they would have just gone ahead and said so (like they did with the European sails). SO maybe they’re thinking they can get the ship together and back to NYC for summer or early fall sailings? Again, if they’ve already thrown the towel in, they should just let the customer know. What’s actually going on is anyone’s guess 😅. I was in a ‘hurry up and wait’ frame of mind pre-COVID. Now I’m in no hurry for my vacation to get here! Hopefully the humans will stay still... this is getting worse by the minute. 

I don’t think the transformation was supposed to take long- month and a half maybe! I remember feeling surprised at how quickly they could overhaul a ship of that size! And I believe they were scheduled to sail at the end of April. 

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I was just using your comment to point out that we, as customers, aren't the only ones who are experiencing financial strain and stress. Yeah, many of these cruise lines are huge corporations that can withstand some heavy hits, so to speak, but they (meaning the people within them) aren't immune to the same feelings of stress and financial worry. Despite what some people think, I am able to sympathize with those who are waiting for word about their cruise. Especially those who have their final payment dates next week. I can't say it enough...I'm not speaking out again people who are frustrated and feeling impatient. They have every right to feel that way. All I've been saying is that I think the anger is unwarranted. We're in uncharted waters here, no pun intended.  Some things can't be done as easily or as simply as they normally could.

It’s all good. I understand- I only needed you to know that I was not ‘complaining’ about the 3 days so much as the lag (which has not been specific to these 3 days). I do really feel that Carnival should let people know as soon as they’ve made a decision- that’s all I was trying to say. These 3 days does not change anything for me personally. Am I disappointed that I’m not going to be able to go on a vacation? Sure! Am I disappointed with Carnival? NO! At this point, I don’t even think I’m going to try and rebook for this summer- too concerning giving the state of everything (unless things quickly and significantly turn around and that’s doubtful). Maybe we’ll drive the 6 hours to Bar Harbor. I also was following your recent vacation, so I knew you drove and elected to drive straight back through to home which was a LONG jaunt (and not one I would do)! That said, I realize you are not without financial implications- not that it matters.