Why Even Bother to Call CCL For Info?

[texas greeneyes]

Yes, this post mentions the fan confiscation issue that is going on other threads, but my point is to address being unable to get a consistent policy statement from Carnival:

I have called Carnival 5 times in the last 22 hours or so, to ask about the recent confiscation of fans and if they are now officially prohibited by CCL policy. I also inquired about CCL policy regarding bringing extension cords and power strips aboard.

Below are my results (the Carnival reps' responses are in quotes, but are paraphrased, as I was not recording them, only taking handwritten notes as we spoke):

04/26/2010 Spoke to Carnival rep M.A., female.

Fans? "Carnival does not prohibit them. Customs does. No, wait...Immigration does. I know this is true because I have a friend who works for the Coast Guard"

Extension cords & power strips? "Only as a medical neccessity, check with Special Needs Guest Services"

04/27/2010 2:28 pm Spoke to Carnival rep H.C., male.

Fans? "Oh, no, they are not being confiscated. On a cruise you will need a fan in your cabin to be comfortable."

Extension cords & power strips? "Of course you can bring them. How else would you be able to charge all your devices?"

04/27/2010 2:37 pm Spoke to Carnival special needs rep L.F., female.

Fans? "Not allowed. We received a memo about it yesterday"

What about battery operated? "No, not those either"*

Can I get something in writing to show those who are interested in this new policy? "No, that is internal information."

Extension cords & power strips? "Even though you are asking about these items for a CPAP, I will have to check with my manager. She is off today so I will have to call you back tomorrow. *I'll let you know about the battery operated fans then too."

04/27/2010 2:55 pm Spoke to Carnival rep M.C., female.

Fans? "Yes, allowed"

Extension cords? "Yes. allowed."

Power strips? "Yes, allowed."

04/27/2010 2:58 pm Spoke to Carnival rep J.R., female.

Fans? "Not allowed."

What if battery operated? "Yes, allowed"

Extension cords? "Yes, allowed."

Power strips? "No, not allowed."

Carnival, are you listening? :confused:

[sailaway4]

Sounds like chaos at Carnival.I would forget them and take your stuff.

[LHP]

Sounds like the IRS....

 

as an Accountant..the standing joke was if you needed clarification about a tax issue ... call the IRS until you get three similar answers (because you won't ever get any exactly the same)....

 

:confused:

[cruzeluver]

My guess would be because there are countless questions people could potentially call about and to have a clear concise policy for all of them would be impossible. Also, you'll never, ever get all reps in ANY call center on the same page about every policy/procedure a company has. I work in one.

[kcroxyoursox]

I find this extremely interesting and would encourage you to send it in to Carnival.

 

Perhaps several people could conduct similar tests regarding various issues, and we could compile them all and send them to someone who can do something about it.

 

I would be curious to know where the breakdown in communication is - apathetic phone reps who don't care if they give out bad info? Supervisors who do a poor job of training their employees? Somewhere higher on the chain that does not dissimenate information evenly, to everyone, at the same time?

[halos]

That is for sure the 20 million dollar question.

[cruzeluver]

Perhaps Carnival did not realize the deluge of calls they would get by not allowing people to bring fans. I sure would not have thought it a big deal, but apparently it is.

[texas greeneyes]

Sounds like the IRS....

 

as an Accountant..the standing joke was if you needed clarification about a tax issue ... call the IRS until you get three similar answers (because you won't ever get any exactly the same)....

 

:confused:

 

Linda,

I have made that exact comparison on previous posts here at CC! Wonder how many calls to CCL it would take to get three identical answers. :p

 

PS (Totally OT here) - just wanted to thank you again for your karaoke advice...ooh and look, I actually spelled it right this time! :o

[okgirl]

The ban on "household goods" has been in the contract for many years.

 

But I do think household goods needs to be better defined.

 

This is from FAQ on Carnival's site.

 

Are there restrictions on what we can bring aboard?

X-Ray Security Machines for security purposes, carnival limits the size of hand-carry luggage to 24"X 16", which is the dimension of the opening of the X-ray security machine (similarto those used at the airport); there is no measurement for length as the hand-carry luggage will lay flat on the conveyer belt. Luggage larger than 24"X 16" will not be permitted through the security machine and must be checked-in with a curbside porter.

Safety Precautions due to "Safety Precautions", the following items are not permitted onboard:

Irons

Heating Pads

Candles

 

No Weapons Policy: Due to our "No Weapons Policy" and heightened security, guests are not permitted to bring on board:

Firearms or weapons of any kind

Pepper spray and mace

To view a complete list of prohibited items Click Here.

 

Safety Concerns: Due to "Safety Concerns", the following items cannot be utilized on board nor are permitted on board:

Bicycles

Surfboards

Scooters (unless medically necessary)

Boats/Canoes

Scuba Tanks (empty or full)

 

Due to "Safety Concerns", the following items cannot be utilized on board but may be brought on board for use in port, only:

Roller Blades/Skates

Snorkel Gear

Skateboards

Golf Clubs

Fishing Rods (packed)

Tennis Rackets

Kites (packed)

 

Miscellaneous Concerns

Scuba Gear Diving Knives: Diving knives are permitted on board. Due to security reasons, the knife will be confiscated by Shoreside Security at embarkation and turned over to the ship's Chief Security Officer. The guest will sign for the knife for diving excursions and return it to the Chief Security Officer upon returning to the ship. At the end of the cruise, the knife is returned to the guest in the cruise ship terminal.

Household Goods or Tools of Trade - These items cannot be brought on board.

Live Animals: No guest is permitted to bring on board live animals other than qualified service animals. Permission to bring a service animal must be approved by Guest Access Services at time of booking.

Musical Instruments:For the comfort of all our guests, musical instruments can only be brought on board if the guest is performing and this performance has been pre-approved by the Group Department.

Radios/Boom Boxes: For the comfort of all our guests, radios and boom boxes can be used with headphones or ear pieces when used in public areas.

Floatation Devices: For the comfort of all our guests, rafts, tubes and floatation devices other than those used as life-preservers (water wings) cannot be used in the swimming pools on board.

Metal Detectors: Guests are not permitted to use metal detectors on board because anything found on board would "belong" to Carnival Cruise Lines. We would then try to return the item to the guest.

Wrapped Gifts: Guests may bring wrapped gifts on board; however, due to heightened security, the gift may have to be unwrapped, upon request.

VCRs/Nintendo/Play Units: These items cannot be utilized on board because of the incompatibility of the units with the stateroom televisions.

Fish Caught on Fishing Expeditions: The fish cannot be brought on board; it must be shipped home.

[floridacruzin]

That is for sure the 20 million dollar question.

 

How is the payout handled:confused:

[LemurCat]

It's just like dealing with any large organization when they affect a policy change.

 

Trust me, the NYSE doesn't even realize that half of their rules contradict the other half of their rules.

[Mary Ellen1]

How is the payout handled:confused:

 

Um, you need to call Carnival & ask. Please post back here with the 3 most-similar responses that you get.

 

:rolleyes:

[texas greeneyes]

OP here again.

A few of you have mentioned that this lack of consistency on Carnival's part may be due to a new change in their policy.

So I want to add that I have had similar experiences in the past few years with Carnival, whether I am attempting to clarify of a new policy or a long-standing one.

Veddy veddy frustratink! :cool:

[Vanessa L]

OP here again.

A few of you have mentioned that this lack of consistency on Carnival's part may be due to a new change in their policy.

So I want to add that I have had similar experiences in the past few years with Carnival, whether I am attempting to clarify of a new policy or a long-standing one.

Veddy veddy frustratink! :cool:

 

I've been hanging around these boards for about 5 years now and this has always been the case, Carnival is easily the worst run company for internal communication that I have ever experienced. And I had Comcast. Easily the WORST company for customer service in the world, but at least ALL their agents tell you to kiss their a$$ equally and consistently. With Carnival, there is literally no telling what answer you are going to get on any question. It blows my mind.

 

However, the similarities to Wal-Mart are striking when you consider this. Wal-Mart treats their employees like sh*t, it is well documented. And, no where in the US can you beat their overall prices. So, you have to weigh, is it worth "overlooking" their treatment of their employees to save those mighty dollars (some people on fixed budgets and incomes would say, "Yes.")??? Carnival easily has the worst customer service for incompetency in the world, but very few (and only during certain times of the year) can beat their prices. Is it worth dealing with that incompetency to save the $$$. For me, the answer is, yes. I sail knowing that should I ever have a problem I might as well suck it up and move on because any help from Carnival will not materialize. C'est la vie.

[Crusin6]

I find this extremely interesting and would encourage you to send it in to Carnival.

 

Perhaps several people could conduct similar tests regarding various issues, and we could compile them all and send them to someone who can do something about it.

 

I would be curious to know where the breakdown in communication is - apathetic phone reps who don't care if they give out bad info? Supervisors who do a poor job of training their employees? Somewhere higher on the chain that does not dissimenate information evenly, to everyone, at the same time?

Or maybe we could start a poll?:D

[RosiesCruising]

In just a couple of weeks I'll be going on my first cruise, with CCL. So obviously I had sooo many questions and called them (before finding CC, of course) and I understand what your saying SO MUCH.

 

I always get different, conflicting answers from them so I no longer call. I research elsewhere if its a small issue.

 

Once I called 4 times in a day and everytime I got a different answer! Im like WTH, what is the answer?!!!!? Its like theyre guessing or something. :confused:

 

They are very polite but that can only go so far. You can smile all you want but if BS is coming out of your mouth whats the point..Lol

[RosiesCruising]

Or maybe we could start a poll?:D

 

 

Agreed!!;)

[imsulin]

Love this thread! It's just so true of so many companies! The "reps" read from a script, work on commission, and basically don't have a clue. Cruise line "reps'" in the respective Call Centers are probably 18-23, and most have never even been on a cruise. They just want to sell you a cruise so they can get paid. Best advice is to get it in writing by fax, e-mail, text, letter, etc. Good luck with that. Loved OP's documentation, and completely believe it! The old "rule of thumb" was to call five times, and if you got the same answer twice, it was PROBABLY correct. Change that to 15 calls with two same answers. Oh, and about asking to speak to a Supervisor? They're always out of town until two weeks from Tuesday. I've spent ten years loving every minute of my communications with my local cable company to get the right price, and I always did. My favorite is: "This call may be monitored for quality assurancel". Try repeating that on your end, and you'll get hung up on! I worked as a TA for a land-based company for a few years, and at least we had our own contacts with cruise lines, and got correct information. I completely sympathize and agree with OP!