Impressed with Carnival...Until it came to the most important day of my life!!

[TahoeBob]

and for ruining the most important day of our lives.

First off I am sorry this happened, but many people put way to much emphasis

on the show that some call a wedding. Try concentrating on why you are getting married and not where you are getting married and how big of a show it could have been.

[melraemic]

It is a shame when something like this happens. Unfortunately that is how it happens. No company can have a ship hanging around 'just in case' someone 'may' want to charter the whole ship.

 

I do agree they should be helping you find another cruise and can't really believe they are not doing that. I am sure they offered compensation for any flight changes too...they usually do and don't leave you stranded. Of course, you must also be willing to change within their means too. I mean don't be expecting a 7 day cruise in exchange for the 4/5 day you had booked.

 

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you. I don't know why anyone would suggest you write to a cruise director when he has nothing to do with bookings or charters but good luck anyway.

 

I was not given any option regarding a refund in airfare. I was told that because the flights were booked with individual airlines, it would be at their discretion. I was also told "most airlines will refund you", which i do not believe is true and we have looked into it, and sadly my family would have to pay extra fees to change their flights, adding up to almost 300.00 for some. Unfortunately, my guests could not use the "Sail Away" program to book flights because of the priority boarding for a wedding. I would be willing to change within their means, and I actually turned down the 5 day option because my guests cannot be expected to take 5 days (mon-fri) off of work. That was the only alternative I was given. They also will not compensate me for save the dates that have already been sent because they aren't the actual "invitations".

[kelz66]

RCCL Majesty of the Seas and NCL Sky both sail a 3-day cruise out of Miami on that date. Talk to one of them.

 

I was not given any option regarding a refund in airfare. I was told that because the flights were booked with individual airlines, it would be at their discretion. I was also told "most airlines will refund you", which i do not believe is true and we have looked into it, and sadly my family would have to pay extra fees to change their flights, adding up to almost 300.00 for some. Unfortunately, my guests could not use the "Sail Away" program to book flights because of the priority boarding for a wedding. I would be willing to change within their means, and I actually turned down the 5 day option because my guests cannot be expected to take 5 days (mon-fri) off of work. That was the only alternative I was given. They also will not compensate me for save the dates that have already been sent because they aren't the actual "invitations".

 

I would take the suggestion above as it would allow everyone to use the airfare they already have.

[halos]

I feel bad this has happened to you!! Our son is getting married on the Dream in july but on the beach at st thomas...Im hopeful that because its in the middle of summer they wouldnt take over the entire ship for anyone, but hey thats life never know whats going to happen..have a good time on your cruise for spring break...hope everything gets worked out for you!

:eek:

I am sick for the OP...I can't imagine how upset she is. To be honest, however, I dissaude anyone who inquires, to include 'cruise ship' or 'cruise port' in their wedding plans. (UNLESS it's the honeymoon following the wedding itself)

Even more common than a ship being chartered and your booking being taken out from under you, is the possibility of missed ports. Planning a wedding around all the negative possibilities is NO WAY worth the risk IMO.

 

First off I am sorry this happened, but many people put way to much emphasis

 

on the show that some call a wedding. Try concentrating on why you are getting married and not where you are getting married and how big of a show it could have been.

 

 

 

I think the poor girl is worried about the confusion, disruption and inconvenience to guests she invited. I know I would be.

Not everyone has a 'show'....it's about having the people you love there with you at a very important time in your life.

[Tiffany1203]

OP...have you considered just having it at a different venue in Miami? Maybe even in the Keys for that matter since its close by? There are TONS of beautiful places down there where a wedding could be held! That way everyone could keep their air arrangments the same.

[gargoyle999]

I'm now on the phone with the 4th Carnival rep I've spoken to trying to find out what is going on. They keep telling me my booking is still active. None of them seem to understand what I'm talking about when I ask if the ship has been chartered. Telling me ships do sell out well in advance....

 

Last night they told me to call group bookings so I just called them but they would tell me nothing about who is on the ship or even that it is chartered. Transferred me back to individual bookings. :rolleyes:

[halos]

I'm not on the phone with the 4th Carnival rep I've spoken to trying to find out what is going on. They keep telling me my booking is still active. None of them seem to understand what I'm talking about when I ask if the ship has been chartered. Telling me ships do sell out well in advance....

 

Last night they told me to call group bookings so I just called them but they would tell me nothing about who is on the ship or even that it is chartered. Transferred me back to individual bookings. :rolleyes:

 

I think this is really awful....How frustrating that no one knows what the heck is going on.....the sad thing is that this is normal for them. People get more info on these boards than from CCL reps all the time. It's horrible business if you ask me.

 

I can totally understand that ships get chartered and people get bumped, but how they handle it just plain sucks. There is absolutely NO excuse for it.

[gargoyle999]

So now I'm being told that it is still being "negotiated" which is why my booking isn't canceled....yet. It's not officially chartered since they haven't signed on the dotted line.

[bcs819]

That sucks, most people only get married 2 to 3 times in their life. Hope the next couple of wedding days are better for you.

 

doh!

[bcs819]

shocking. Another person who doesn't register and start posting till they have a complaint. And an overly dramatic one at that. It's March. The wedding is in November. There is plenty of time to find an alternative option, which, if the OP had done any legitimate research, she would have had in theory anyway.

 

And she has no idea what life is really about if she has already decided which day is going to be the most important...

[Yo Eleven]

To wassiii:

I had always posted my experiences on Carnival's own site. Also, I didn't know about this site until a few weeks ago when researching possible honeymoons.

 

shocking. Another person who doesn't register and start posting till they have a complaint. And an overly dramatic one at that. It's March. The wedding is in November. There is plenty of time to find an alternative option, which, if the OP had done any legitimate research, she would have had in theory anyway.

 

And she has no idea what life is really about if she has already decided which day is going to be the most important...

I am on the fence on this one trying to figure it all out. Gonna ride this one out for awhile. Maybe the OP will provide a link to her other experiences she has had where she said she has posted them on the Carnvival website. That would remove any doubt I think.

[dmontroy]

shocking. Another person who doesn't register and start posting till they have a complaint. And an overly dramatic one at that. It's March. The wedding is in November. There is plenty of time to find an alternative option, which, if the OP had done any legitimate research, she would have had in theory anyway.

 

And she has no idea what life is really about if she has already decided which day is going to be the most important...

bcs819 -- Your comments are extremely inappropriate. Just because you don't have many posts does not mean that you don't regulary read the boards. The OP had her wedding canceled! She is definitely entitled to her feelings and has the right to post them here. I am so sick of the nastiness on this board. This is a freakin' cruise site....why do some people feel the need to be so hateful?

[sixgun8]

WOW, normally I would defend Carnival on most issues, but I can understand how this one totally SUCKS. All I can say is GO on your Spring Break Cruise, Try to enjoy yourself. Ask for a sit down with the CD. He more than likely can't help your situation, but he can maybe give someone at Carnival a call and see if there is anything they can do to help you?

[UpstateCruizer]

OP...have you considered just having it at a different venue in Miami? Maybe even in the Keys for that matter since its close by? There are TONS of beautiful places down there where a wedding could be held! That way everyone could keep their air arrangments the same.

 

Since the options provided by Carnival don't seem to work for the OP this is by far the best suggestion I have read so far.

 

To those that are being so nasty I can't believe how low some people can go on these boards lately. Having a few cruises under ones belt does not make them an expert nor does it mean they should require a poster to verify that they are "for real".

 

Op I'm sure those that are booked on the same cruise as you are greatful that you have alerted them to the possible change in their cruises. If this cruise hasn't been finalized perhaps there's still a chance that the charter deal may fall through.

 

Ignore the "experts" and please come back to let us know how things work out for you. Good luck and I hope you are able to find something that will work for you and allow you to have the wedding you want :)

[kwbound]

bcs819 -- Your comments are extremely inappropriate. Just because you don't have many posts does not mean that you don't regulary read the boards. The OP had her wedding canceled! She is definitely entitled to her feelings and has the right to post them here. I am so sick of the nastiness on this board. This is a freakin' cruise site....why do some people feel the need to be so hateful?

 

Totally agree with you. bcs doesn't seem to think OP should be allowed to say anything negative about a corporation which is causing her considerable distress, but apparently it is ok for bcs to criticize the OP, someone who hasn't done anything to bcs. Just wow...exactly why I never recommend this board to anyone.

[bcs819]

bcs819 -- Your comments are extremely inappropriate. Just because you don't have many posts does not mean that you don't regulary read the boards. The OP had her wedding canceled! She is definitely entitled to her feelings and has the right to post them here. I am so sick of the nastiness on this board. This is a freakin' cruise site....why do some people feel the need to be so hateful?

 

I didn't say she didn't read the boards. I ACCURATELY stated that she didn't register and begin posting until now. And I must have missed where Carnival forbid her to get married. They didn't cancel her wedding, they cancelled a cruise. Which happens. Which she would have known if she had been READING the boards. I wasn't being nasty, I am sick of people who come here, complain, and then fade off into oblivion. Those people are TAKERS, they do nothing to assist the other users of the board. ANd finally, I don't even know the girl, I don't hate her. But seriously, she has 6 monthes to recoup, if this is even a real story. It's not like her wedding is next week. My cousin had a destination wedding planned, and the plane carrying most of her wedding party CRASHED. This girl has no idea how lucky she is, I hope this is the worst thing to happen to her in her life.

[gargoyle999]

To those that are being so nasty I can't believe how low some people can go on these boards lately.

 

Really. Cut the OP some slack. Just reacting to the disappointment about finding out that her wedding plans are messed up. Which any way you slice it is one of the most important day's in a persons life (for most of us anyway). :rolleyes:

 

And there is something up with this cruise so the OP is legit.

 

There are other options out there and I'm sure the OP will realize it. I'd book one of the cruises with RCCL or NCL on the same day if it were me! :cool:

[bcs819]

Totally agree with you. bcs doesn't seem to think OP should be allowed to say anything negative about a corporation which is causing her considerable distress, but apparently it is ok for bcs to criticize the OP, someone who hasn't done anything to bcs. Just wow...exactly why I never recommend this board to anyone.

 

I didn't say she couldn't say anything negative. I didn't tell her she shouldn't be here. I stated FACTS. And anyone who has been married for 20 years will tell her that the wedding day will NOT be the most important day of her life.

 

Feel free to criticize me as much as you want. I have no qualms about my participation on these boards, I read and share, and post reviews, and answer questions. In fact, I would have been one of the first to tell her all the risks of planning a cruise wedding. If she had asked :)

[crewsweeper]

bcs819 -- Your comments are extremely inappropriate. Just because you don't have many posts does not mean that you don't regulary read the boards. The OP had her wedding canceled! She is definitely entitled to her feelings and has the right to post them here. I am so sick of the nastiness on this board. This is a freakin' cruise site....why do some people feel the need to be so hateful?

I also tend to view these first posts out of the shoot being major complaints with a bit of skepticism. The OP's wedding wasn't cancelled, just the venue...which happens all the time for land based weddings, BTW. And that's a helluva lot of extra stress on a bride-to-be, for sure. But there is still plenty of time to redo things. What's unclear to me that surely there are other passengers booked on the cruise and are being cancelled which would generate a lot mor complaints/questions than what we've seen here. Also, what company in these times has an extra few hundreds of thousands of $ to throw away on a cruise for employees? Now an organization having a convention on the ship makes some sense, but that's a pretty good size organization to get 2000+ attendees for a conference on a cruise in these times of corporate travel restrictions.

 

If the OP is for real, hopefully she'll take up some of th esuggestions offered here and get on with planning for her wonderful day/cruise.

[jfulcher]

That sucks, most people only get married 2 to 3 times in their life. Hope the next couple of wedding days are better for you.

 

Maybe you are just trying to bring a little comedy to the situation, but that's a pretty crass statement. :mad::rolleyes:

[goldengreeke]

Sorry Carnival screwed you over and I'm sorry the forum bullies are after the newbies AGAIN! They really need to get a life. They must wake up each morning thinking "Who can I pick on today?":rolleyes:

[gargoyle999]

What's unclear to me that surely there are other passengers booked on the cruise and are being cancelled which would generate a lot mor complaints/questions than what we've seen here.

 

See post #58. Carnival hasn't begun notifying most people yet. Four Carnival reps I've spoken to still telling me my booking is valid. So most people already booked don't even know yet something is up.

 

OP maybe got a call from her TA if they got wind of it. Or if directly with Carnival seems like they gave her a heads up. Possibly if they have it with a group booking or Carnival knows a wedding is involved.

[bcs819]

See post #58. Carnival hasn't begun notifying most people yet. Four Carnival reps I've spoken to still telling me my booking is valid. So most people already booked don't even know yet something is up.

 

OP maybe got a call from her TA if they got wind of it. Or if directly with Carnival seems like they gave her a heads up. Possibly if they have it with a group booking or Carnival knows a wedding is involved.

 

i was able to just "reserve" this cruise on three different travel websites. And went to the other major cruise forums that I am aware of (including on the Carnival site) and there is no word of this particular issue (that I could find). Will be interesting to see how this plays out. OP seems to be the only person who is aware of this issue.

[Traveler353]

I have a theory why so many first time post are just negative rants. The name of the this site is "Cruise Critic" as in to criticize. People come hear and post their rant without actually reading any of the site to see that is not what it is all about. Because they have nothing positive to contibute they go away, never to be seen again. Specialy when they do not get all the support that they feel that they are entitled too or deserve for being so mis-treated by the cruise line (very often only in their own minds).

If the OP is truly on the up and up with her story (and at this time there is no reason to not believe her) this is really a very dirty deal by Carnival. I suppose that there will be more post from people effected by the change in plans if it is true.

The thought processes of brides can be very strange to say the least. They even have their own reality show because of how crazy they can get. So I can almost understand the OP feelings on this being "the most important day of her life".

[kwbound]

i was able to just "reserve" this cruise on three different travel websites. And went to the other major cruise forums that I am aware of (including on the Carnival site) and there is no word of this particular issue (that I could find). Will be interesting to see how this plays out. OP seems to be the only person who is aware of this issue.

 

 

On Carnival's on website the Nov 12 sailing of the Inspiration is NOT showing. There was another thread here last night about someone else who had been told the sailing was chartered. So there are other people who are aware of it. Do you think the OP just made the story up??