Final Bill Warning

[okwriter]

i mean who sits there with a calculator and adds up every charge themselves

 

Ummm, my husband. :o I'm quite sure the wrinkled brow is because he is squinting and has nothing to do with my bar and casino charges. :D

 

[marym933]

Yet another reason to put down CASH on your S&S.

 

Or, use a credit card instead of a debit card. You can always challenge the bill with your credit card company.

[PA Dutchman]

Never had a statement that had a problem. We both use our own CC and never a problem. Most of the ships you can check your statement anytime.

Im sure handling 50 thousand people a week or whatever there will be some questions. Everything put on your statement you sign for except the Tips they just add on. Everything else (charges) you and carnival will have a copy of with somebodys sig on it. We keep all our copys till we get our CC statement and then throw them away.

When you read some of these posts that people have a problem, there is always something from the norm. People are like your kid, they will only tell you what they want you to know. It makes it sound better, there will always be some to jump on the wagon, whatever it is. JMO

[FlipFlopCruiser]

We check our statement everyday on the TV, mostly to be aware of what our 15 yr old is charging so we can stop anything over the top before it gets crazy.

On our last cruise we had been double charged for a bucket of beer in the lounge. As soon as we noticed it on the TV my husband went to guest services, told them it must have been entered twice by mistake and they took the charge off our account. No argument or hesitation.

 

Mistakes do happen and i really don't think Carnival intentionally overcharges anyone.

If that happened as much as some of the posters here are trying to make us think it does....how long would a company stay in business? Any company.

And just food for thought.....but.....customer service reps are HUMAN and they will react to how they are being talked to. I've been in that line waiting for my turn and have heard how demanding and obnoxious people can be when they think they are right.....i wouldn't want to help them either.

Before i get flamed....i am NOT saying thats the case with the OP....just saying i can understand how some of the complaints about the reps being rude and unhelpful may happen.

[travler27]

I did find out that the TV account is not always accurate. However, my final bill on the last night has always been correct.

 

I do check it before getting off the ship.

[NavarreCruiser]

Yes you can check your S & S card from your TV. I had a drink charged to my account once that was not mine and it was corrected by the next morning. Bartender transpossed the numbers. Mistakes can be honest and do happen. I check my S & S account daily when on a cruise.

 

Not on all CCL ships. But we do go down to guest services a couple on times during a cruise and have them print out a copy of the bill. That way we always know whats on our S&S. Lynda

[happy cruzin]

We check our statement everyday on the TV, mostly to be aware of what our 15 yr old is charging so we can stop anything over the top before it gets crazy.

On our last cruise we had been double charged for a bucket of beer in the lounge. As soon as we noticed it on the TV my husband went to guest services, told them it must have been entered twice by mistake and they took the charge off our account. No argument or hesitation.

 

Mistakes do happen and i really don't think Carnival intentionally overcharges anyone.

If that happened as much as some of the posters here are trying to make us think it does....how long would a company stay in business? Any company.

And just food for thought.....but.....customer service reps are HUMAN and they will react to how they are being talked to. I've been in that line waiting for my turn and have heard how demanding and obnoxious people can be when they think they are right.....i wouldn't want to help them either.

Before i get flamed....i am NOT saying thats the case with the OP....just saying i can understand how some of the complaints about the reps being rude and unhelpful may happen.

 

 

We monitor our S&S closely too!

 

Errors we have identified have usually been taken care of - once "investigated" by Guest Services.

 

But...here might be a good place to remind new cruisers to check carefully the slips you are signing to make sure they are yours AND that they are for the right purchase!

 

On one of our cruises DH ordered a drink in the lounge as we sat down for a show....toward the end the waiter came by with a slip to sign. DH checked the name - since earlier in the cruise he'd been given someone else's slip - and signed it.

 

Well - when checking the account the next day it looked like we had been charged twice so we stopped at Guest Services. The next day we were notified that DH had signed the slip for a "double" - we agreed that he had signed the slip - but only ordered and received a "single". Guest Services said we signed for the double - we were charged for the double. Which I understand....Guest Services has no way of verifiying what was ordered or delivered. They can only go by the receipts on file.

 

So...lesson learned - check the amount that you are signing for to make sure it makes sense. Because mistakes do happen and once you sign it....it is yours!!

[happy cruzin]

We check our statement everyday on the TV, mostly to be aware of what our 15 yr old is charging so we can stop anything over the top before it gets crazy.

On our last cruise we had been double charged for a bucket of beer in the lounge. As soon as we noticed it on the TV my husband went to guest services, told them it must have been entered twice by mistake and they took the charge off our account. No argument or hesitation.

 

Mistakes do happen and i really don't think Carnival intentionally overcharges anyone.

If that happened as much as some of the posters here are trying to make us think it does....how long would a company stay in business? Any company.

And just food for thought.....but.....customer service reps are HUMAN and they will react to how they are being talked to. I've been in that line waiting for my turn and have heard how demanding and obnoxious people can be when they think they are right.....i wouldn't want to help them either.

Before i get flamed....i am NOT saying thats the case with the OP....just saying i can understand how some of the complaints about the reps being rude and unhelpful may happen.

 

Agreed!

The waiters are quite busy...dealing with lots of guests, folio numbers and receipts. But it is frustrating when you end up paying for something you did not receive - because of their mistake :o.

[serene56]

That's what we did and had no problem. But it does bring up a question in my mind. Since they cut you a check for any remaining $$ on your account and put it in your cabin the last night, what do they do about those "after midnight" charges for cash accounts?

 

 

you have to close out your account in order to get that check- once you close it out-- you will not have those after midnight charges coz your card will not work

[ccartman2]

Can you check your bill on the TV in your cabin? Or are there kiosks around that you can print a copy from at any time? I always save the receipts and I'm pretty good about pulling our bill a few times during the week to check for accuracy.

 

 

We could on the Glory and the Legend. THe fantasy class ships didn't use to have the ability, but they may now. I'd imagine you could still get a print out at Guest services. It's important to at least look at. On the Legend, I got billed for mini-bar purchased (4 pops) and we never used one thing in there. The did take it off, but that would have been $10 I just gave to Carnival if I hadn't paid attention.

[dmarie21]

I have a newbie question...do they take your S&S card to swipe each time you buy a drink or only write the number down?

[megmno]

I have a newbie question...do they take your S&S card to swipe each time you buy a drink or only write the number down?

 

If you order a drink from a roving bar waiter they just write it down, so that's one vector for error, if they transpose numbers etc.

 

If you order drinks at a bar they swipe it.

 

On our last cruise we put down deposits for our next cruise. It was supposed to be $1000 (four $250 deposits). When I checked my credit card after we returned home I found charges for $1500 for the deposits. But I checked my new booking information on Carnival's web site and had been credited all of the money so I didn't bother to complain. (I'm that much closer to having paid off next summer's cruise!)

 

It does indicate a certain sloppiness with credit card transactions, though!

[Jenbo57]

Hmmm... I always double check mine. I kinda figured everyone did... mine has always been spot on.

 

Me too, except I did have an error one time, in MY favor. Wasn't charged for the two soft drink cards I purchased. When I brought it to their attention on the last day they said not to worry about it.

 

So it does go both ways...

[okwriter]

On our last cruise we put down deposits for our next cruise. It was supposed to be $1000 (four $250 deposits). When I checked my credit card after we returned home I found charges for $1500 for the deposits. But I checked my new booking information on Carnival's web site and had been credited all of the money so I didn't bother to complain. (I'm that much closer to having paid off next summer's cruise!)

 

Do you mean "all" as in: they refunded the entire amount but gave you credit for it? :eek:

[megmno]

Do you mean "all" as in: they refunded the entire amount but gave you credit for it? :eek:

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The credit card was charged $1500 instead of $1000. When I look at my Carnival booking information I see payments for all $1500, so I have not lost anything. I never asked Carnival to refund the money.

[Julesy]

Why has our society gotten to the point that no one is allowed to make a mistake? Don't you ever make a mistake. Just because it is a company doesn't me they or there system is perfect. I have noticed if a customer

goes into a business and there is a mistake made no matter how big or small , it's ohh you made a mistake I should get this free or disconted

just double check the math and pay what you owe. It wasn't done on purpose IT WAS A MISTAKE!!

 

Ummm....if you take my CREDIT CARD under the guise that you will only bill me for the purchases I make, IE CORRECTLY, then you better not make a mistake. I don't care if it takes 10 employees to accomplish this, but I gave you my CREDIT CARD number is GOOD FAITH, so you better get it right.

[larkz]

Think about it: there has to be a tug of war in a billing dispute.

 

Sure, a simple math error can and should be fixed. But say an item appears on the bill that the customer claims they did not purchase. If Carnival simply erases the charge every time this is claimed, then millions of dollars will be lost each year because people will game the system. On the other hand, if you did not buy it, you should not have to pay for it. Unfortunately, sometimes it isn't easy for either side to prove their case. The standard practice for any big company is to judge whether to give in based on how far the customer will take it. If you keep grinding, they almost always give in.

 

When I feel that I'm right in such a dispute, the tug of war continues until the issue is resolved. Calls, letters, and emails -- day in, day out.

 

So far, I have no complaints about how Carnival has handled my S&S account. But this is where life becomes so much simpler for those of use who are disinclined to blow loads of money on the ship. For us, the tally at the end of the cruise is easy to add up just by glancing at it.

[larkz]

Woops, erased...wrong board.

[donaldsc]

Why has our society gotten to the point that no one is allowed to make a mistake? Don't you ever make a mistake. Just because it is a company doesn't me they or there system is perfect. I have noticed if a customer

goes into a business and there is a mistake made no matter how big or small , it's ohh you made a mistake I should get this free or disconted

just double check the math and pay what you owe. It wasn't done on purpose IT WAS A MISTAKE!!

 

Have you ever noticed that they NEVER undercharge you for anything. All the "mistakes" are in favor of the company. Suspicious!

 

DON

[southbayer]

Ive never had a problem with my final bill either... But if you can't get it resolved with Carnival, just dispute it with the credit card company and send them a copy of that final bill.

 

[S.S. Cruisers]

Never had a statement that had a problem. We both use our own CC and never a problem. Most of the ships you can check your statement anytime.

Im sure handling 50 thousand people a week or whatever there will be some questions. Everything put on your statement you sign for except the Tips they just add on. Everything else (charges) you and carnival will have a copy of with somebodys sig on it. We keep all our copys till we get our CC statement and then throw them away.

When you read some of these posts that people have a problem, there is always something from the norm. People are like your kid, they will only tell you what they want you to know. It makes it sound better, there will always be some to jump on the wagon, whatever it is. JMO

 

PA Dutchman: Not sure why you would make the above statement. There are 3 of us on this thread that said we had a problem. Doesn't seem like we are jumping on any bandwagon, just a fact. I do keep track of our spending by adding my own receipts and checking our balance. All was well and good. The final bill did not match what was charged on our card, period. The amount was not worth my time calling Carnival and getting in a situation like some have mentioned. By the way, we had no way of knowing the amount charged would be different from the final bill until we we were home and saw what Carnival had actually charged us. So I don't know how much more of the story you want me to print. I think I have bored everyone enough by explaining it to you.

[Vmalcolm]

Add me as someone who has had problems. Some I've caught on board (bottle of wine we didn't purchase, gift shop purchase we didn't make, numerous charges for drinks we never ordered), but at least twice after we've gotten the final bill we've had an increased amount appear on our credit card. When I've contacted Carnival and they researched it, both times it was for liquor from the mini-bar which we never opened. I always mean to have the mini-bar emptied as soon as we get on board, but usually the room steward is so busy I hate to ask. All issues were resolved by Carnival.

 

Valerie

 

P.S. I also had a bar server charge me two drink coupons for a drink which should have been covered with one. When I protested he said "I brought you a double." Tough buddy, I didn't ask for a double. Had to dispute it with the bar manager, but got a credit for the extra coupon he took.

[waldocruiser1]

That's what we did and had no problem. But it does bring up a question in my mind. Since they cut you a check for any remaining $$ on your account and put it in your cabin the last night, what do they do about those "after midnight" charges for cash accounts?

 

They charge it to the other guests that have a CC on their account,

 

We always use cash, and I start a worksheet on the computer at the start of the computer, and add the receipts each day to so to the computer, so we DO know what we have spent, and what to expect at the end of the week.

 

It took a few minutes to make the program, and a few minutes to add receipts as we go, but I find it is better than sitting on hold after the fact disputing the error.

[waldocruiser1]

what baffles me the most about this, is that some of you seem to believe this is acceptable. NO WAY!

 

it's the point....whether it was $1 or $100, if CCL is doing this to numerous people, well, that's pathetic. I will certainly watch my bill allot closer. and they will certainly hear from me if it's incorrect. one must stand up for what is right regardless of the subject.

 

if they are screwing a person by $1 each sailing from each account, just think about that....it adds up. it's dirty. it's not a mistake. machines make the calculations. has your calculator ever been wrong? mine sure has not!

 

I agree,

 

A mistake is the bartender charging you $15 for a drink not $12 because he put in the wrong type of drink,

 

Charging you more then you "Final Bill" with out letting you see it, and know of the error is STEALING

 

Maybe the way to address it with Carnival would be to "DISPUTE" the charge with your credit card company, and see how Carnival explains the charges to them, You have your copy of the "final" bill to fax in, and they will have to show receipts for all of the different charges.

 

I think it would shift the "work" to them, because you would be disputing a charge of Hundreds of dollars, not the 10 difference.

 

Just a thought of how to address it. Or just use cash, and keep track of the spending.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We monitor our S&S closely too!

 

Errors we have identified have usually been taken care of - once "investigated" by Guest Services.

 

But...here might be a good place to remind new cruisers to check carefully the slips you are signing to make sure they are yours AND that they are for the right purchase!

 

On one of our cruises DH ordered a drink in the lounge as we sat down for a show....toward the end the waiter came by with a slip to sign. DH checked the name - since earlier in the cruise he'd been given someone else's slip - and signed it.

 

Well - when checking the account the next day it looked like we had been charged twice so we stopped at Guest Services. The next day we were notified that DH had signed the slip for a "double" - we agreed that he had signed the slip - but only ordered and received a "single". Guest Services said we signed for the double - we were charged for the double. Which I understand....Guest Services has no way of verifiying what was ordered or delivered. They can only go by the receipts on file.

 

So...lesson learned - check the amount that you are signing for to make sure it makes sense. Because mistakes do happen and once you sign it....it is yours!!

 

how did you wind up getting charged twice if he signed someone elses receipt?

 

Wouldn't the persons account which he signed be charged and not yours?

 

Bill