Carnival Wedding Nightmare

[Liberty Bride]

I had booked my Carnival wedding luncheon last winter. If I had know what I know now I would have never done it with Carnival. Now, I am three weeks away from the wedding along with a lot of our friends and family who are sailing with us. We would have cancelled if there were not so many people involved and so excited for this trip, but it is much too late and we do not want to dissapoint everyone.

I have had so many unnessisary problems due to Carnival and not at all having to do with Hurricaine Wilma.

3 short weeks from today is my wedding. I still have not heard from Carnival's wedding department or my so called "wedding co-ordinator". I have tried a few times this past week to reach anyone after waiting on hold for quite a long period of time only to be told that my "co-ordinator" will be getting in touch with me "today" or "tomorrow"!!! Any questions I have had for them is always with a "We don't know yet". Examples: Bride: "Where aboard the ship will the ceremony take place"?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

Bride: "Which dining room will we be for our luncheon'?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

Bride: "When will you know"?

Carnival: "We are not sure".

Bride: "Can we have a vegetarian meal"?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

The only thing they can seem to tell me is the cost, and what is due to be paid!

If I wasn't the one to call the wedding department and ask them if I can send my fax of our menu, wedding cake options, and final guest list, I am convinced that they would have never noticed!!!

I have been asking them to send our wedding license applications since August since I am affraid that since we are Canadian it will take longer for shipping the papers back and forth. "Jennifer Diaz" assured me there will not be a problem. I have just received these folded up little pieces of paper on Friday to find them full of errors. It is obvious that no one checks these documents before mailing them off to the couples to have notorized. Ours cannot be notorized now because of the errors. I now have to wait until Monday to see if anyone is able to correct these errors and ship the documents to me on time! And who is worried, certainly not Carnival, it is me who is covered in hives.

This is how CARNIVAL treats their customers ladies. Learn from these mistakes and book with another company. I don't wish anyone this nightmare, this is supposed to be a fun time, something to look forward to, not a nightmare!!

[sas80]

It's really, really stessfull, I know!

I've been there done that.

 

It's not Carnival - it's a contracted company called "The Wedding Experience"

 

www.theweddingexperience.com

 

They handled my wedding on Royal Caribbean and they called themselves "Royal Romance"

 

This is a company that the ships have contracted to do buisness with.

 

Hang tight! It's really stressfull now but your wedding will probably be okay.

 

The only piece of advice I can give you is, if your wedding is during the cruise, work with your cruise ship contact to plan it and make it the way you want. Ask for evrything! A runner, silk flowers, any extra you think the ship can provide and dont offer to pay for any of it!

 

Good Luck!

[Liberty Bride]

You're probably right, it will all turn out in the end.

It is just that it is so frustrating dealing with people who really don't care, and do this day to day and lost all sense of what they are doing.

It is Carnival and not the Wedding Experience that handles the wedding license. The wedding Experience handles the flowers, minister and any upgrades for Carnival weddings. They do however handle wedding licensing for all other cruiselines.

I was able to contact Carnival wedding dept. today and they reassured me that the wedding license will be fine after all.

It is looking somewhat better...;)

[r1forbgirl]

I sympathize with you! I certainly hope things go much better for you than they did for me. Don't know if you read my story, but Carnival ruined my wedding (the title of my post in this section) which never happened on the Legend in Sept. I'm not finished disputing with them, but really don't expect to get anywhere either. I've received 2 letters from them now saying they will do nothing, but hope that I will give them another chance! Woo .....like anyone wants to hear that after what they put me through. Good Luck. I know the truoble you're going through. Alina Vazquez is the head of the Carnival wedding dept. She did me absolutely no good what so ever BUT next time you call try to speak with her. She usually knows a little more than the dimwits you wait 20 minutes to speak to. Her direct # is 800-227-6482 ext 65644 and her email is AVazquez@carnival.com. Hope this helps and congratulations. Sincerely wish you the best of luck!

 

P.S make other arrangements if you think you'll need your gown pressed. I had mine (which is 100% silk chifon) pressed onboard and gave them specific directions and a swatch to test on. I just realized a few weeks ago that they shrank my dress. I didn't know it on the cruise as they never performed the ceremony - so I never wore it! I looked at it in the garment bag, but when I tried it on once home the outter sheath is now shorter than the satin lining under the gown!! Perfect!:eek:

[sas80]

If you really want to force these wedding companies to listen to you, call your credit card companies and claim that you never got the services you paid for and, therefore, you want these charges taken off your card.

 

You may have to do some of your own leg work - write a letter to the wedding company and cc the credit card company explaining why the charges should be reversed and wait a bit for a response from the wedding company BUT if they really failed to provide you the services you paid for then there should be no problem getting the charges reversed.

[jennabear08]

I am getting married in port with carnival in lik a week and a half. You will get your info at about the two week mark. I know it sucks but you will get it - I have been stressing too. If you need to talk feel free to email me @ tjandjenni@earthlink.net

[Liberty Bride]

Hi Jenni!

I emailed you ...

Let me know how you are doing if you have time!!

Good luck with everything and Congratulations!!!

Liberty Bride:)

[caviargal]

I had booked my Carnival wedding luncheon last winter. If I had know what I know now I would have never done it with Carnival. Now, I am three weeks away from the wedding along with a lot of our friends and family who are sailing with us. We would have cancelled if there were not so many people involved and so excited for this trip, but it is much too late and we do not want to dissapoint everyone.

I have had so many unnessisary problems due to Carnival and not at all having to do with Hurricaine Wilma.

3 short weeks from today is my wedding. I still have not heard from Carnival's wedding department or my so called "wedding co-ordinator". I have tried a few times this past week to reach anyone after waiting on hold for quite a long period of time only to be told that my "co-ordinator" will be getting in touch with me "today" or "tomorrow"!!! Any questions I have had for them is always with a "We don't know yet". Examples: Bride: "Where aboard the ship will the ceremony take place"?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

Bride: "Which dining room will we be for our luncheon'?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

Bride: "When will you know"?

Carnival: "We are not sure".

Bride: "Can we have a vegetarian meal"?

Carnival: "We don't know yet".

The only thing they can seem to tell me is the cost, and what is due to be paid!

If I wasn't the one to call the wedding department and ask them if I can send my fax of our menu, wedding cake options, and final guest list, I am convinced that they would have never noticed!!!

I have been asking them to send our wedding license applications since August since I am affraid that since we are Canadian it will take longer for shipping the papers back and forth. "Jennifer Diaz" assured me there will not be a problem. I have just received these folded up little pieces of paper on Friday to find them full of errors. It is obvious that no one checks these documents before mailing them off to the couples to have notorized. Ours cannot be notorized now because of the errors. I now have to wait until Monday to see if anyone is able to correct these errors and ship the documents to me on time! And who is worried, certainly not Carnival, it is me who is covered in hives.

This is how CARNIVAL treats their customers ladies. Learn from these mistakes and book with another company. I don't wish anyone this nightmare, this is supposed to be a fun time, something to look forward to, not a nightmare!!

 

 

This is much the same experience when I took a group of 193 on Glory this May. Meeting rooms were swithced at the last minute to unacceptable locations. Prior to the cruise, I spent hours on hold everyday, just to get the same type of runaround. It was deplorable and I will not do a group on them again.

 

The good side is that the onboard staff was good and tried to do their best for us.

[sas80]

This is much the same experience when I took a group of 193 on Glory this May. Meeting rooms were swithced at the last minute to unacceptable locations. Prior to the cruise, I spent hours on hold everyday, just to get the same type of runaround. It was deplorable and I will not do a group on them again.

 

The good side is that the onboard staff was good and tried to do their best for us.

 

VINDICATION!!!!!

Take that NY!

[Liberty Bride]

FYI...

Less than 2 weeks to go 'til the "BIG DAY". I am really looking forward to it of course, and you can't wipe the silly grin off my face. Oh wait, yes you can...

I still have NOT been contacted by Carnival. My "Wedding Co-ordinator" has not yet contacted me and I can't seem to reach her.

I have spent a lot of time on hold only to be told the same thing... "I am sorry, I don't have the answers for you". "Only your wedding co-ordinator can answer those questions"!! How frustrating!!

If anyone is even THINKING about booking their wedding with Carnival, be prepared!!!

[sas80]

If anyone is even THINKING about booking their wedding with Carnival, be prepared!!!

 

It's not just Carnival - this contracted wedding company services a large part of the industry......

[Liberty Bride]

Actually I have nothing but good things to say about The Wedding Experience. They have always been extemely helpful and pleasant. I have booked floral upgrades with them and arranged the ceremony with them as well,

It is Carnival that frustrates me to no end. To date they cannot commit to the time of my ceremony. Something that is very important to me and of course to our guests. Not to mention what time to book my hair and makeup so that it neither done to early or too late. Nor can they tell me what sort of tables the sit-down luncheon will be served at, which is very difficult for me to seat my large disfunctional family. Nor can they commit on the menu I have chosen. In fact, they haven't committed to anything! Every question I have asked they have replied with "only your wedding co-ordinator can tell you that M'am". What wedding co-ordinator is that is always my reply. I haven't heard from this illusive person!! I have read somewhere that the so called "co-ordinator" is also the dining room hostess, something I refused to believe until now!

Does anyone know???

[sas80]

"Carnival" cant give you an answer because it is truly TWE that handles everything. Your 'wedding' coordinator is someone whom is contracted through TWE, not Carnival.

 

As soon as TWE collects themselves from Wilma you will have your answers - mark my word.... The day that TWE comes back online will be the magical day you get your answers.

 

In any case, regardless of "who" is responsible, it does sound EXTREMELY stressfull, and you do have all my sympathy. I hope that everything get's straightened out before you board.

 

It's probably not going to help me saying this but..... try to keep positive about everything - everything WILL work out! Everything usually does!!

[Liberty Bride]

Well I am completely surprised it is TWE that knows the answers to my questions. Now I am upset with BOTH of them (Carnival & TWE). LOL

Thanks for writting.

I will be sure to post how it all turns out as soon as we get back!!

11 more days, and still now word!!!:confused:

[sas80]

I am positive that it will all work out!

[nycruiserbruiser]

:( Carnival has THEIR OWN wedding dep't that handles their weddings. How many times do I have to tell you this. My sister is getting married in 3 months on the Glory. TWE ONLY does the flowers, guest lists, and vows. My word you just make me have to say it over and over. It is Carnival lady that handles everything. Clear enough? I have only posted this 5 times to correct you. Enough of scaring off Carnival brides, and misrepresenting the truth.

[Liberty Bride]

HOLY COW PEOPLE!!!

Let's not be nasty okay?!!:eek:

Well as it turns out CARNIVAL IS IN CHARGE OF CARNIVAL WEDDINGS.

IT IS NOT THE WEDDING EXPERIENCE.:rolleyes:

It turns out that I finally called AGAIN today and was finally put through to my "Wedding Coordinator". She does exist!!! Carnival has all the answers but sits and lets a bride stew while not living up to the great customer service they claim to have. 11 days until my wedding and I was the one that finally contacted my Carnival Wedding Coordinator. She did not appologize or even acknowledge that she was the one that should have cantacted me days if not weeks ago!!

The Wedding Experience does Carnival's floral upgrades, and the ceremony details, but it is CARNIVAL who is responsible to contact the couples. While TWE might represent other cruiselines, they certainly do minimum for Carnival. Might I add, I have nothing but great things to say about TWE!!! :) Even with all the damage they experienced with Hurricaine Wilma, they were more accessable then Carnival's Wedding Department!!

So to all those beautiful brides out there who are haven't yet booked their wedding, I hope this helps to prepare you!

Cheers!

Liberty Bride

[sas80]

Most importantly - you are straight about YOUR ceremony YOUR reception and YOUR wedding!

 

Just remember - keep breathing and repeat to yourself "everything will be fabulous"

 

Because it will!!!

 

Of all the posts I see, even the brides who comment that TWE/RR/Carnival made several mistakes - they always end the posts with "it was a beautiful day that I will never forget!"

[sas80]

Bruiser - consider yourself on IGNORE! If you continue to stalk me I will report you to Cruise Critic!!!