Beware of Future Cruise Desk - Carnival Splendor

[Crystalbast]

My certificates, including a couple purchased on Splendor have all clearly stated "Single occupancy bookings receive half of the onboard credit amount."

 

The problem is that you don't see the certificate until AFTER you pay the deposit. Nobody tells you ahead of time that solo travelers get only $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Nor is that information posted at the futurer cruise desk.

 

By the time you find out and go back and complain the traditional response is - You are right you should get the $100 and you should put that on your comment card.

 

To me failure to disclose up front that solo travelers will only receive only $50 OBC is the intentional withholding of information that could be material in making the decision whether or not to pay the $100 deposit. I may get flamed for that but I think that such a withholding of information that can be of material importance in making the decision to make that deposit should null and void any agreement between a customer and Carnival. The employee should reverse the charge on board if requested. You SHOULD NOT be told that you have to talk to Carnival when you get home.

 

Solo travelers end up letting Carnival have $100 of their money for up to 5 years and only receive the benefit of a $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Had I known that BEFORE I paid the deposit I WOULD NOT have done it. I know of other who found themselves in the same boat and felt the same way.

[firefly333]

i bought one of those credits last year on our cruise, then when i went to use it this year, they said it would only be worth the 100 i paid because i got the $50 credit for booking last year within thirty days of our return. so from the way i understand this voucher, it's not valuable unless you don;t have any other discounts being used. basically they have my hundy, and i can get that back, but if i want ther full two hundy, then i can't use other sales and credits. i feel it is a bit deceiving. i paid 100 to get 200, period. should be that simple, but of course....:rolleyes:

 

The reason you did not get your OBC is because the FCC is not combinable with the welcome back credit. So, if you took the $50 WB credit, then they wouldnt give you the FCC OBC.. .

 

They are combinable with other discounts, but were always non combinable with the WB credit. Maybe thats why the WB credit was discontinued last summer.

[Sargent_Schultz]

The problem is that you don't see the certificate until AFTER you pay the deposit. Nobody tells you ahead of time that solo travelers get only $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Nor is that information posted at the futurer cruise desk.

 

 

They did tell me and answer any other question I had. They charged my credit card $100 each and the certificates were delivered the following day.

 

If you don't like the terms and conditions, return them to Carnival. Problem solved.

 

I'm about out of them so will purchasing more in a few weeks.

 

Even for a single cruiser, it is at least a 25% and perhaps a 50% or 125% return on investment. Where else are you going to get that these days (legally)? Tax free (for now).

[buddylover]

I just bought one aboard "Liberty", and had no problem whatsoever. I DID, however, already know the "ins and outs" of the program. The only thing the lady who sold me the cert., gave me bad scoop on, was when I asked if I could apply the cert to a cruise I've already booked. At first she said I could, as long as I hadn't made the final payment, but she was corrected by another person working at the desk, who said the booking had to be made after the certificate was purchased. No problem,,,we cruise 5 or 6 times a year. Just applied the cert. to a September cruise.

 

We, too had problems with Mark Turner on the Splendor, who ran the desk when we were on a few weeks ago.....gave us so much MIS-information. We purchased several certs, he put them all in my husband's name AFTER we asked to have one in his name and one in DW name....then would NOT change his own error. Got home, called our PVP, who conferenced us in with the Special Promotions Dept......they DID correct Mark's error, and told us, of course it can be applied to any booking as long as it's not paid in full....PVP was on the line and concurred.

Think about it, you can't even use the certificate unless you have a booking to apply it too........duh! So what difference does it make when it was booked? Lots of differing OPINIONS....but the fact of the matter is, these kinds of issues should be FACT, not personal OPINIONS of varying employees.

Yes, 5 ships, will be 6 when the Dream's desk opens (if it hasn't already) sell these certificates. The program is a wonderful offering, only Carnival needs to get their employees on the "same page".

[BamaCruiser20]

Can two of the Future Cruise Credits be used on the same cabin?

 

Basically, if I cruise with a friend and we've both purchased the FCC, and we each pay half of the cabin total.....can we both use the FCC towards our one cabin and each get the $100 OBC?

[firefly333]

Can two of the Future Cruise Credits be used on the same cabin?

 

Basically, if I cruise with a friend and we've both purchased the FCC, and we each pay half of the cabin total.....can we both use the FCC towards our one cabin and each get the $100 OBC?

 

If you could use two, then the next person would want to use five.

 

Unfortunately its one per booking. If you are in the same cabin, its one booking.

[newt98]

The reason you did not get your OBC is because the FCC is not combinable with the welcome back credit. So, if you took the $50 WB credit, then they wouldnt give you the FCC OBC.. .

 

They are combinable with other discounts, but were always non combinable with the WB credit. Maybe thats why the WB credit was discontinued last summer.

 

ok.

[UpstateCruizer]

I just bought one aboard "Liberty", and had no problem whatsoever. I DID, however, already know the "ins and outs" of the program. The only thing the lady who sold me the cert., gave me bad scoop on, was when I asked if I could apply the cert to a cruise I've already booked. At first she said I could, as long as I hadn't made the final payment, but she was corrected by another person working at the desk, who said the booking had to be made after the certificate was purchased. No problem,,,we cruise 5 or 6 times a year. Just applied the cert. to a September cruise.

 

"SKY"

 

Just a heads up regarding this ....I've purchased and used these certificates on cruises that I have already had booked. I completed the info on the certificate and sent it in without any problem.

[gargoyle999]

Has anyone sent in more than one FCC at a time? Did you have to use separate envelops or can you send several in at once for several different cruises in the same envelope?

[pe4all]

The problem is that you don't see the certificate until AFTER you pay the deposit. Nobody tells you ahead of time that solo travelers get only $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Nor is that information posted at the futurer cruise desk.

quote]

We got to look at a "sample" certificate before we purchased it. The only mis-information we were given was 1. that it couldn't be used on an already booked cruise and 2. we were told it would be charged to our s and s card - not directly to my credit card.

[luv2cruz44]

Did not know about the 2nd one. What if you book thru a TA?

 

 

We booked a cruise for Alaska on the Spirit while we were on the Splendor but made sure our TA got the credit. No problem as all the information on our TA was in the computer. The person at the future cruise desk took care of the booking and gave us the 2 friends and family certificates. Since daughter was already planning on taking this cruise with us, TA submitted the ceertificate on her behalf and she got the $100.00 OBC. We were on the Splendor in January and experienced none of the problems that folks evidently did on the 2/21 sailing. We did have friends on that sailing though who experienced much the same problem with the future cruise specialist telling them the program was extremely limited.

 

 

Has anyone sent in more than one FCC at a time? Did you have to use separate envelops or can you send several in at once for several different cruises in the same envelope?

 

 

 

The first time we bought certificates on the Splendor, we knew we were planning on booking a B2B for which we planned on using these certificates. We did send them in the sam envelope and got the OBC for each cruise applied.

 

A couple of other points. They are expanding the program and you can now purchase them on the Spirit, Miracle and Legend. There are plans to expand it fleetwide.

 

Another point is that most people have been fairly successful applying them to already booked cruises, in spite of what the future cruise specialist tells you. We actually were able to apply one certificate to the Elation 15 day Panama Canal transit which we had previously booked and for which we had paid in full. Perhaps this was a slipup which shouldn't have happened but it was a good one (for us) to fall through the cracks.

[mij]

Unless your rooming buy yourself you will only get $50 because the divide the obc with you cabin mate.

[goofytoo]

Has anyone sent in more than one FCC at a time? Did you have to use separate envelops or can you send several in at once for several different cruises in the same envelope?

 

I sent two in for b2b cruise I'm taking in November. I did not see any credit applied 4 weeks later so I called and asked them if they received them. They did receive them and they will apply them to both cruises so yes you can use one envelope.

 

They also said I would not see the credit applied until closer to final payment date. I would think they would do it when they receive them so they know it is already done, but whatever.

[Laudan]

The problem is that you don't see the certificate until AFTER you pay the deposit. Nobody tells you ahead of time that solo travelers get only $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Nor is that information posted at the futurer cruise desk.

 

To me failure to disclose up front that solo travelers will only receive only $50 OBC is the intentional withholding of information that could be material in making the decision whether or not to pay the $100 deposit.

 

Solo travelers end up letting Carnival have $100 of their money for up to 5 years and only receive the benefit of a $50 OBC for a 7 day cruise. Had I known that BEFORE I paid the deposit I WOULD NOT have done it. I know of other who found themselves in the same boat and felt the same way.

 

Exactly! I'm another occasional solo traveler who fell into this trap. Carnival's failure to share "the small print" found only on the back of the certificate is pure deceipt.

 

And here is some additional "small print" for ya... You cannot use the onboard credit for gratuities or for "games of chance". I guess that means that it's for booze, speciality restaurants, and shore excursion expenses only. Your losses in the casino and at bingo are truly "your" loss! :rolleyes:

[firefly333]

And here is some additional "small print" for ya... You cannot use the onboard credit for gratuities or for "games of chance". I guess that means that it's for booze, speciality restaurants, and shore excursion expenses only. Your losses in the casino and at bingo are truly "your" loss! :rolleyes:

 

Before you get all bent out of shape about this ... actually I am 100% sure you can use any OBC toward any charges. My best guess is Carnival says this so they cant be held responsible for gambling losses or for your tipping or not... but anything you charge to your S&S card comes from any type of OBC you have. I have never had a problem using it for anything, yes including tips.

 

It seems like some kind of legal mumble jumble to protect Carnival.