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Carnival got me!

fla gang

By fla gang,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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fla gang

fla gang

Posted
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So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

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fla gang

fla gang

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There was no fine print to read because I was on the phone and not near a computer. Once I gave her the credit card number it was all over. So you are telling me it's my responsibility to ask them all of the questions. I thought they were to let me know if a certain rate was non refundable or not.

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nemini

nemini

Posted
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To be fair--something very few people are interested in, admittedly--by the time the confirmation was printed, it was too late. OP was already booked with a ES rate, and Carnival had the money they wanted.

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cruizergal70

cruizergal70

Posted
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To be fair--something very few people are interested in, admittedly--by the time the confirmation was printed, it was too late. OP was already booked with a ES rate, and Carnival had the money they wanted.

How about just asking the question before booking? You can't blame Carnival for something that wasn't asked.

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NJporkroll

NJporkroll

Posted
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Isn't the answer clear what you did wrong... this is like talking to my kids. You obviously already know and displayed your ignorance on this matter. Why seek additional punishment by posting this in the first place? Quite the conundrum[emoji848]

 

 

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sanmarcosman

sanmarcosman

Posted
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Caveat emptor applies here.

 

When I find myself in unfamiliar sales territory, regardless of the nature of the sale, and can't think of a specific question to ask I will ask the rep: "are there any questions you would ask at this point if you were in my position that I haven't asked you about?" Sometimes that alone will prompt a service rep to offer additional information related to the transaction that helps to form my decision.

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jimbo5544 "Live from...." Rare

jimbo5544

Posted
Posted
So I called Carnival and booked two inside cabins. Paid the $500 per cabin, only to have something come up a couple of weeks later that was not going to allow me to go. I called to Cancel the two cabins and Carnival said you lose $50 per person and we can hold the rest of your $500 per cabin for a future cruise. So they never told me when I booked these cabins that they were early saver and non refundable. When I printed the confirmation I never knew I had to read every bit of the fine on the ticket contract all the way to the bottom. That wouldn't have mattered because they had my money end of discussion! So what did I do wrong?

 

 

 

One of the hazards of doing these things yourself is not knowing what to think or ask. Your experience is a great example of why to use a TA.

 

 

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mistshar

mistshar

Posted
Posted
One of the hazards of doing these things yourself is not knowing what to think or ask. Your experience is a great example of why to use a TA.

 

 

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I agree. When I booked Early Saver, she went into great detail explaining it all to me and what the consequences would be if I cancelled. She also suggested I buy insurance then so that I wouldn't lose any money at all.

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jimbo5544 "Live from...." Rare

jimbo5544

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I agree. When I booked Early Saver, she went into great detail explaining it all to me and what the consequences would be if I cancelled. She also suggested I buy insurance then so that I wouldn't lose any money at all.

 

 

 

That is their job, while we may get some argument from people saying they want to be empowered to "own" their booking, the facts (especially in this case) are that it costs nothing (sometimes cheaper), they are experts at what they do, and it would be their job to fully explains the benefits and risks tied to early saver (or any other plan).

 

 

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BoDidly

BoDidly

Posted
Posted

OP, unfortunately the Carnival reps have always been lapse on giving out the proper information to their customers , the moto is to get your monéy answering as few questions as possible . Yes , they have your money hostage ! Don't let that discourage you , find yourself a good PVP . :D

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Nic6318

Nic6318

Posted
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Hi

 

This is just one reason I suggest to friends that haven't cruised before, if you are considering a cruise, "please talk to me before you commit to anything".

 

There are many pitfalls to booking, even with a TA, if you hadn't asked the question "are there any cancellation fees" you might still have been stuck, if they weren't thorough. On Carnival this "cabin rate" would have likely allowed you a lower fare, since you aren't aware, a "cabin rate" that allowed you a full refund may have cost more than the $100 that you forfeited in cancelling. So if you hadn't cancelled you may have been out even more money...would you have complained about that as well if you had realized at a future point.

 

You really should not blame Carnival for your not understanding their cancellation policy. Of course, if you had purchased the right type of insurance you would be able to reclaim your deposit, but then you would have spent much more for the insurance. Either way, you got what you paid for, you will have the balance to use for when you can go and you will know one more thing to ask about. This isn't something special to Carnival, this would be something to ask for any purchase.

 

good luck

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firemanbobswife

firemanbobswife

Posted
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I'm surprised Carnival doesn't explain non-refundable very clearly when booking. I do everything online so I have no experience with over the phone but it sucks they didn't explain that. You shouldn't have to ask.

 

That's one of the hazards of calling the 800 number. A lot of times they even give out wrong info. A good PVP makes sure you know exactly what you're booking. Some TAs (not all) don't sail Carnival and may not be as familiar with the different rates or questions about the ships. A good PVP like mine who has been there since 1992 has actually sailed the ships and knows what he's doing. He's an expert.

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jimbo5544 "Live from...." Rare

jimbo5544

Posted
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OP, everyone here knows and understands your pain. The lesson (and a fairly expensive one I understand that) is use the resources that are available. In addition to hopefully precluding you from more financial woes, there could be other advantages. While I am still on my soapbox, don't discount the value of Insurance (either the cruise lines or other potentially better options for your travel needs. (Jim hops down from the soapbox).....

 

 

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Micahs Grandad

Micahs Grandad

Posted
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Caveat emptor applies here.

 

When I find myself in unfamiliar sales territory, regardless of the nature of the sale, and can't think of a specific question to ask I will ask the rep: "are there any questions you would ask at this point if you were in my position that I haven't asked you about?" Sometimes that alone will prompt a service rep to offer additional information related to the transaction that helps to form my decision.

 

good advise

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