Kellyann

We just booked a Carnival tour which included the cigar factory as well as Rum and Chocolate factories for our cruise in 2 weeks. Check out the positive reviews on their web site. I don't like that it's a very long day (5 hours leaving at 8 AM). We were in Amber Cove last October and it was wonderful but wanted to check out some Dominican culture. If anyone has done this tour, did you like it and was there time to hang out at the pool area?

If you have the Cheers Package, is bottled water covered? Can you get bottled water to take with on port stops?

Thank you for the update. Now my only worry is the number of and intensity of the hurricanes rumbling up the East Coast.

Last month at a Chicago casino the Let It Ride bet was $10 and I never saw anyone sitting there The same goes in Atlantic City. What economic sense does it make to have empty $10 tables when $5 minimum would fill the seats all day. Sad that the ships have the same stupid mentality. I just want to play for awhile not empty my bank account. Hope the Legend next month is $5 because it was last year.

I always thought that you had to use your onboard credit while onboard. I wanted to make dinner reservations for the Steak house but didn't want to use my credit card. Can someone confirm that I can use my credit before I board in 6 weeks?

Bloody Mary is my drink of choice and when I was on the Legend last year, I found them too hot and spicy for my taste. I asked if they could make them less burning, but the waiter said it's a mix and that's the way it is. I don't know which mix they use.

At Carnival's Amber Cove there are carts to get you from ship to Cove, do they have something similar at the G.T. dock? If you've been to both, do you think the walk is as far in G.T. vs. the Cove? Our stop last year to G.T. was cancelled because the dock was damaged in a storm, so I'm really anxious to enjoy their beach but walking too far is an issue. Can someone comment please.

I couldn't agree more. In spite of those saying they heard from someone in days, as soon as you get to their web site and explain your issue, it clearly states that due to staff shortages it could take up to 4 - 6 weeks for a response. I fought for a $199 credit from November to March so if you don't have plenty of time and patience, then let it go. I never got my money but instead got an onboard credit. I wish you luck and your post warns everyone to check out your statement while still on the ship. Thank you.

Exactly, I bought it beforehand using my VISA card. Capital One would send CCL asking about the charge and CCL would respond to Capital One "all goods received in good order". Capital One continually took CCL's rote statement. If only I had kept the note under my cabin door the night before our sailboat ride, stating that it was cancelled due to unclement weather. Who knew?

I sympathize with you in trying to get anyone at Carnival to respond. It took me over 4 months to get credit for an excursion that they cancelled due to bad weather. Finally, after many e-mails, then trying to reach a live person and untold stress, they finally agreed to give me an onboard credit. The only reason I will be sailing on CCL again is because they are holding $225 hostage by not issuing a refund but making me book another cruise. They really should be ashamed to conduct business in such a shoddy fashion and that was my 10th Carnival cruise. For all of you who plan to jump right on this thread and tell me how you received whatever you were asking for in minutes, don't rub salt in the wounds of those who weren't so fortunate. Shiner 6, I hope you reach someone who cares and can help you quickly.

Thank you again for bringing back all my happy memories of the Legend. Sailed on her Oct 2022 and booked again this October. I don't know how you find the time to write and take pics but I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report. Enjoy your next cruise.

Oops! I meant to say the Greyhound bus goes into the Port Authority terminal on 8th avenue. From there it's almost walkable to the cruise terminal if you weren't carrying luggage. It is a very short cab ride to the terminal. The terminal in Mount Laurel on route 73 closed awhile ago and it was free. Then they were leaving out of the Clarion on rt. 73 and now they are not doing that either. The last time I left out of a NY port was before covid and Carnival had moved to Brooklyn at the last minute. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

Not sure if anyone mentioned taking Greyhound to Penn Station. We have done this several times from the Cherry Hill area and it's reasonably priced and the taxi fare to port is also inexpensive.

My love and I were on the Legend Oct 2022 and we're booked again Oct 2023. It's such an easy ride from the Philly area to Baltimore and parking is a breeze. I am enjoying so much your review because it brings back wonderful memories and I can't wait for Oct to be boarding her again. I love the Spirit class because nothing is too far to walk. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and thank so much for the awesome pics and review.

Thanks I knew someone would correct me. I didn't know it had changed and I was on 2 cruises in 2022 with onboard credit that I waited to use until I was onboard. I love this site because it's always an opportunity to learn something.

I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think you could use the "onboard" credit until you were onboard. My impression is if you booked dinner or excursions ahead before boarding, it would go to your credit card and not applied to "onboard" credit.

If you are able to get a human voice, then please tell me a phone number. The only thing I get no matter what buttons I push is them telling me my questions can get answered on their web site under "FAQ". Well they don't have the answer to my issue so I'm just screwed I guess.

I understand your frustration since I've been waiting for a refund since 10/1 when my catamaran excursion was cancelled due to weather. I paid on VISA prior to cruise and the credit showed on my Sail & Sign card but it's been over 3 months and even VISA cannot get anything from them other than a form letter stating that "goods were received in good condition". VISA at first credited me but when they got the form letter, they put charge back on. I disputed the charge and they again credited me but surprise, surprise CCL sent another form letter as before so now the charge is back on. So unfair that they only have form letters and there is no way to talk to a human. A credit of $199 was due to me at end of cruise on 10/8 and had I known I'd be ignored for 3 months, I would have bought something in the shops before disembarking.

Since you don't know me, don't assume that i should know that CCL doesn't have a way of refunding your money. Whatever you mean by "seasoned", I think a person whose been on close to 20 cruises (10 of which were CCL) might have a little knowledge; but unless they had a credit in the past how would they know they'd never see the refund? I wonder how happy you'd be if you were owed $199.34. I get nothing but their stupid form letters and so does VISA. I have enjoyed all of my cruises and I even wrote to them complimenting some employees on my 10/1/22 cruise. Funny they answered that e-mail but not the one where they owe me money. All of you bashing people with legitimate issues should back off. Some of us truly have reason to be upset.

If you know a way to speak to a live person at CCL, please share the phone number. Even the folks at VISA can't reach them. And for all those with only positive feedback, we were all in that position until we weren't so don't act like people are dilusional if they have a problem that is being ignored.

What a great idea. She should also take note of how customers are treated post cruise. How the only correspondence you get from their "customer care" department are form letters not relative to the issue. How there is nobody to talk to unless you want to book a cruise. How they can even send their form letters to Visa when a charge is disputed. She will never see me on another Carnival ship. BTW, if you are owed money on your last cruise day, go to their shops even if you have to buy $200 worth of gum because you will never see your credit. Yes, Ms. Duffy, that's how your customers are treated. I wonder how long this post will be on before they remove it.

No need for a sticky thread my friend since they don't have "customer service"; and if they do, it's well hidden. I do hope that others who have been similarly treated speak up so CCL cruisers know what to expect of their credit.

Jamman54, I don't know how to do what you're asking but I can give you a rundown of my sail & sign statement. There was a credit of $100 for being a stock holder, there were 4 credits of $8.83, $20.00, $16.24 and $171.98 (shore excursion pre-sale and a port being cancelled) and in the minus column there was a charge of $116.00 gratutity and $.63 tax on drink at port. We had cheers package. The last items on my final sail & sign showed a credit of $317.05 less charge of $117.71 left "Amount owed to (my full name) of $199.34. The worse part is there is no way to discuss with a CCL rep. I sent an e-mail to them praising the staff and they responded within days and even sent me $25 towards another cruise so I know they have live people working.

Congratulations on always having a positive experience. I did too on my 10+ CCL cruises.

It is a very telling statement that it "happened to us many times". You have to wonder how many others have had their refunds ignored? Not that CCL cares whether I cruise with them again, but I will bad mouth them as a company that has abhorrent business practices. As I said in an earlier post, if you have a credit left on your final cruise day, spend it because you may not see that money again.