A little dissapointed with an incident on our first cruise

[MissDiva1]

Come on Carnival........$40 freaking dollars....you can't just give them a free steak house dinner, or a little something to show you care about your customers........give me a break:rolleyes: Unbelievable......

[mohavemommy]

I had answered this before but not in my first post...it was because I had read different posts in which folks said they had issues when using a debit or credit card and to use cash.

 

I would have rather used our card it would have saved us the fees. I thought I was doing the smart thing per my previous research on cruisecritic.

 

I am one who uses cash... but I bring it with me on the cruise. I have never pulled from an ATM on board because of the fees.

 

The last cruise I used a credit card on was a nightmare! Somebody at Guest Relations kept "authorizing" the card for the full amount of my on board bill each day... NOT what I charged that day, but the full amount from all previous days as well. That can really add up with the soda packages, excursions and tips that post those first couple of days. My mid-week the card declined because of all the holds on it. I received letters in my cabin telling me I needed to report to Guest Relations to talk to them about my account. I was shocked at the way they were processing holds. I was assured that it would not happen anymore and gave them a second card for the rest of the purchases that week. Yes... you guessed it, they did it again to this card. By the end of the cruise that was also declining because of all the holds. The last morning I had to give them a THIRD card just to be able to get off the ship. It took several days for the holds to drop off the first two cards and luckily in the end all that actually processed on the third card was the actual amount I spent.

 

I just put the cash on the first day now. At the end of the cruise they cut you a check for what credit is left over. Funny part is... if you take the check to Guest Relations that last morning they will cash it for you!

 

I do love getting the points for using my card, but that nightmare was just not worth the points lost. I do carry a credit card with me on these cruises, but only as a last resort should something out of the ordinary happen. Can you say infirmary visit?

[crusinpsychRN]

Just went to Carnival site to check on a new booking. The total and what they charged my credit card was $10.01 higher than it should have been. They told me I'd get an OBC and don't why the extra charge was made!

[bdstrom]

Somebody at Guest Relations kept "authorizing" the card for the full amount of my on board bill each day... NOT what I charged that day, but the full amount from all previous days as well.

 

I don't understand. Why would they do that? I've always used my credit cards and never ran into this issue... Why do they need to authorize everything over and over?

[dclark]

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

[MamaParrotHead]

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

 

I'm pretty sure the OP, nor anyone else, asked for your financial opinions or advice. :rolleyes:

[mohavemommy]

I don't understand. Why would they do that? I've always used my credit cards and never ran into this issue... Why do they need to authorize everything over and over?

You've got me on that one... I had used a credit card for MANY years on various cruises and never had a problem... but never again.

 

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

 

Wow... yet another poster who thinks their opinion is absolute when it comes to who should and should not cruise. Get a life and quit trying to tell others how to run theirs. :rolleyes: Some people choose not to have credit cards. You should never assume you know what a person's financial life is like. Assumptions are the mother of all... well I guess you probably know the rest.

[jtdlmc]

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

 

Good grief and just who are you???!!!! There are many reasons a person may not have a credit card or may not wish to use one on a vacation and quite frankly their reasoning is none of your business - for all you know these people could be multi-billionaires. Your "advice" could very easily go the other way - if you can't afford a vacation without using a credit card, maybe you should get your financial house in order. My gosh, some people :rolleyes:

[jerseyralph]

Good grief and just who are you???!!!! There are many reasons a person may not have a credit card or may not wish to use one on a vacation and quite frankly their reasoning is none of your business - for all you know these people could be multi-billionaires. Your "advice" could very easily go the other way - if you can't afford a vacation without using a credit card, maybe you should get your financial house in order. My gosh, some people :rolleyes:

 

Yes!

[dclark]

Your "advice" could very easily go the other way - if you can't afford a vacation without using a credit card, maybe you should get your financial house in order. My gosh, some people :rolleyes:

 

I didn't walk over to CCL's headquarters with a bag of cash; I used my card, then paid it off that month. I also like the points that i get, helps pay for free airfare.

I have heard of "personal reasons" to use cash but no one has ever specified what these "reasons" are. If the OP were to use a CC, then this problem would have never occurred!

[mohavemommy]

Good grief and just who are you???!!!! There are many reasons a person may not have a credit card or may not wish to use one on a vacation and quite frankly their reasoning is none of your business - for all you know these people could be multi-billionaires. Your "advice" could very easily go the other way - if you can't afford a vacation without using a credit card, maybe you should get your financial house in order. My gosh, some people :rolleyes:

 

Bravo! :D

[snoodel]

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

 

WOW,,

All I can say to this reply is I see what the D in your name stands for!

And we wonder here why people are afraid to post anything whatsoever to a message board. They come here looking for somewhat of a friendly word of advice or even understanding, and you bang them over the head with this crap.

Just WOW,,

 

But Please, when you see me on a cruise, feel free to come to me with any of your unsolicited advice. I would love to hear it!

[theJAMESH]

that's not true. a dishonest employee looks for guinea pigs. they perform transactions that could be perceived as a mistake. if "caught", they apologize, and correct the error. if not, they maintain the out of synch balance, and can withdraw the excess anytime after until they have to "count out/balance".

 

So this employee concocted this scam to make a measley forty bucks? If they did this frequently it would be obvious, and they would be terminated. Most carnival employees I've met are foreigners with families to support. I highly doubt anyone would risk their livelihood over such a small amount of cash, especially when they're under video surveillance. All signs point to the op being at fault.

[cruiseinfoseeker]

EH....I read the post carefully and removing your tips is SCREWING over the people who take care of you. Taking the $40 loss out on those people is cold.

 

my comment to you was not directed as how you perceive as a screwing and cold but rather that you accused the OP of doing it as a deliberate "screw." in fact, I do agree that some staff did get affected, but the OP didn't do that knowingly (as far as their explanation says)

[MissDiva1]

So this employee concocted this scam to make a measley forty bucks? If they did this frequently it would be obvious, and they would be terminated. Most carnival employees I've met are foreigners with families to support. I highly doubt anyone would risk their livelihood over such a small amount of cash, especially when they're under video surveillance. All signs point to the op being at fault.

 

Wow you can blame the op but not the employee:confused: Nobody knows what really transpired but Carnival should have made an attempt to make it right IMHO...........

[CarnivalCruising]

I'm so sorry that this happened. It almost happened to me because I always deposit cash. I gave the person at the purser's desk $200 and they processed it as $140. I told them that I just gave them $200. Good thing that she hadn't put the money away in the cash register yet. Be very careful and check your receipts before you leave the purser's desk.

[MissDiva1]

I didn't walk over to CCL's headquarters with a bag of cash; I used my card, then paid it off that month. I also like the points that i get, helps pay for free airfare.

I have heard of "personal reasons" to use cash but no one has ever specified what these "reasons" are. If the OP were to use a CC, then this problem would have never occurred!

 

I agree there are many advantages for us to use our cc.....there is no advantage for us to use cash....

[Olliebaby]

Knowing machines and humans make mistakes you take risk by not being positive about what you handed over/cking the receipt. But I do feel the cruise line should have offered an onboard credit. After all the running around and the cs rep that had you coming back and forth, a credit would have been good PR.

[momof4boys]

You should use a CC for all your charges. If you have a low limit on the card that makes this impossible, or lack a CC, you really should not be going on cruises. Rather than vacationing, you really should be focusing on getting your financial house in order. The only way stupid things like what the poster has mentioned is with cash.

Likewise, if you live paycheck to paycheck, you should not be spending $$$ on a cruise.

 

 

 

Wow! :rolleyes: Won't say what I am thinking!

[laumicmah]

Of course the OP should have done a few things differently. We all live differently in hindsight. But allow me to commit the mortal sin of criticizing Carnival in this case.

 

Not for the original mistake, whoever it belongs to, but for making it so much worse. If the OP is to be believed (let's go with that for a minute,) and reasonably escalated this issue over 3 days, Carnival could have offered them something other than a "sorry, nothing we can do." Unless Carnival felt like this customer was completely trying to rip them off, the stonewall just infuriates the customer. There are about a thousand things Carnival could have offered this customer to make them feel better without actually admitting "guilt" by either party, especially since Carnival was unable to document the transaction the way it said it would.

 

I'm a small businessperson who lives by the motto "delight the customer." Seems to me it would have been far more sensible in Carnival's case to say "there isn't anything we can do at this point about the original mistake and we apologize for the confusion, but please take [this] as a small token our our concern and to show you how much we appreciate your business." The customer feels better, Carnival steps up for a good customer and this post has a completely different story to tell.

 

In my business we bend over backwards to make the customer happy. Sometimes it isn't possible and we deal with those cases when needed, but if we own even 1% of the customer's dissatisfaction we do everything we can to make it right.

 

Just a different perspective. Do with it what you will.

Very well said. Sadly, though, most customer service nowadays is NOT like you describe. CCL has always had good CS for me, though...which is why I love them...try dealing with a CS issue at Disney....uggggg!

 

I recently (in May) purchased a certificate for a local restaurant...paid @$10 to get $25 off, but had to get 2 entrees or something like that. Went the very night I bought the certificate and saw hand written notes posted on all the doors that said they no longer accepted these certificates. I went inside and showed them the cert and explained that I just bought it...they shrugged and said..."we don't take them anymore". I was SO mad. They should have accepted it and dealt with the company we bought the cert from...instead I had to go home and call the company to get my money back...now I will NEVER go there to eat...EVER...business lost.

[lillian marie]

You are simply out of luck I think this time. I agree with the previous posters, use a credit card for on board purchases-sign and sail card. It is the safest way to go.

[Mooresville4]

Hope I am not repeating anyone, but...

 

Whenever I hand a cashier money (bank, restaurant, convenience, china-mart), I always tell them exactly how much I think I am handing them. It lets the cashier catch any mistake of mine before they put it in the drawer, as well as let's them know how much I expect I gave them.

 

This may have been prevented if the OP told the purser they gave them $200.00 for deposit. For example, when they tell me the total is $10.23, I hand them $20.25 and say "out of $20.25". Never had a problem since with change or deposits since doing this.

[gone_cruisin]

I've often bought things that I ended up thinking was a waste of money. I have shoes in my closet that I spent over 100 dollars on that I don't ever wear. In the grand scheme of things, a 40 dollar mistake isn't that expensive. (When I think of all the mistakes I've made in the casino...but that's another story...)

 

I think your 40 dollars is upsetting and it leaves a really bad cloud over what you thought was a terrific vacation. But in the end, you made a 40 dollar mistake of not checking the receipt before you left the counter. You'll not make that mistake again!

 

There really isn't a good reason to pursue the issue. You won't get a different answer, no matter how high up you go in the company. You'll waste time and energy retelling your story again and again and getting sympathy but no resolution.

 

If I were you I'd go through your photos and work on your review and focus on the good part of your vacation. Put the 40 dollars into the "life lessons" budget and move on....

 

Well said.

 

On one occassion, I was so absent-minded that after pulling up to a drive-thru atm, I grabbed my card, my receipt and drove off with the money still in the machine. Person behind me must have loved me.

 

I realized it right after driving away, but it would have done no good driving back around to the car that pulled in behind me....that money was gone.

 

Lessons learned.

[gone_cruisin]

Knowing machines and humans make mistakes you take risk by not being positive about what you handed over/cking the receipt. But I do feel the cruise line should have offered an onboard credit. After all the running around and the cs rep that had you coming back and forth, a credit would have been good PR.

 

I'm not accusing the OP of this....

 

but if every time a customer cries foul, carnival gives out an OBC, then they would go broke quick. The too many deceitful people in this world that would take advantage of others and make things up to get free stuff.

 

I'm sorry it happened, but ultimately it is a mistake that fault cannot be proven either way.

 

Life is not fair all the time and some time we just have to learn to live with the outcome.

[Linsuesue]

There seems to be more than one break in protocol on Carnival's part. A customer steps up to the customer service desk and tells them here is $200 for my account. The employee counted the money while it was in her hand?? She didn't fan it out or count aloud so the customer could have said No-$200-not $160. She didn't say aloud to the guests-"That is $160 for your account not $200 like you just said. The employee didn't catch the difference between what the customer said and what she actually counted? I think Carnival does have some responsibilty for this transaction (regardless of the receipt) because they came back and told the customer that the security tapes can't even tell how much money there was. They better come up with some more consistent procedures for that station and what is the point of security tapes? They didn't seem to help this time. It would have been more appropriate to tell the customer that no inconsistencies were noted on the security tapes, and the drawer balanced out. Perhaps the ATM only gave the customer $160 because they had withdrawn money the same day and could only get $160 instead of $200. My husband has been in retail for over 30 years. I know how there are many complaining customers that will try to get something for nothing. I don't think the OP would go to this much trouble for $40-I'm hoping it was an honest mistake on someone's part. Carnival could have given a $40 gift card to one of their shops and their markup on that would have limited the amount out of their pocket. I love rtscruiser's motto of, " Delight the Customer."