We recently booked a 4 day cruise to Cozumel with Carnival Cruise Lines. The ship was supposed to leave Tampa on January, 28th (2016) but was unable to get into port that day due to heavy fog. Carnival offered an alternate 3 day "cruise to nowhere" the following day with a 50% refund and a 50% discount on a future 2-4 day cruise. We took the 3 day cruise and expected to get a 50% refund of what we paid for the original cruise. The cruise cost almost $1400 for the 4 of us so we expected to get a refund of nearly $700. What we got was $558. When I spoke to Carnival (guest administrations) they said that not all of the costs of our cruise were subject to the refund. They said "we should have known" that the total fare was made up of several charges/fees and not all of them were included in the refund.
The email letter they sent us offering the alternate cruise stated: "Guests who sail with us tomorrow will receive a 50% refund of their cruise fare (refunded within the next 2 weeks) and a 50% discount on a future 2 to 4 day Carnival cruise*" "refunds will not be provided for flight changes, hotel accommodations, meals, transfers or other incidental costs resulting from this weather delay." The letter explained that flights, hotels etc. would not be refunded, but nowhere did the letter state that some costs associated with the cruise would not be refunded. Had we been informed of that we probably would not have taken the alternate cruise.
We feel that the letter offering the alternate cruise and discount was misleading and that Carnival should refund 50% of the full price we paid for the cruise.
Misleading 50% Refund
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
We recently booked a 4 day cruise to Cozumel with Carnival Cruise Lines. The ship was supposed to leave Tampa on January, 28th (2016) but was unable to get into port that day due to heavy fog. Carnival offered an alternate 3 day "cruise to nowhere" the following day with a 50% refund and a 50% discount on a future 2-4 day cruise. We took the 3 day cruise and expected to get a 50% refund of what we paid for the original cruise. The cruise cost almost $1400 for the 4 of us so we expected to get a refund of nearly $700. What we got was $558. When I spoke to Carnival (guest administrations) they said that not all of the costs of our cruise were subject to the refund. They said "we should have known" that the total fare was made up of several charges/fees and not all of them were included in the refund.
The email letter they sent us offering the alternate cruise stated: "Guests who sail with us tomorrow will receive a 50% refund of their cruise fare (refunded within the next 2 weeks) and a 50% discount on a future 2 to 4 day Carnival cruise*" "refunds will not be provided for flight changes, hotel accommodations, meals, transfers or other incidental costs resulting from this weather delay." The letter explained that flights, hotels etc. would not be refunded, but nowhere did the letter state that some costs associated with the cruise would not be refunded. Had we been informed of that we probably would not have taken the alternate cruise.
We feel that the letter offering the alternate cruise and discount was misleading and that Carnival should refund 50% of the full price we paid for the cruise.