Carnival Didn't Come Through...Should I Just Let it Go?

[texas greeneyes]

I sailed the Conquest this past November and really had a great time overall. But there were two negative occurences that I thought needed addressed, so I wrote to Guest Relations after I returned home. My letter made a point of saying how much I enjoyed the cruise overall, and gave details about many good and enjoyable aspects of my trip. It was not just a gripe session.

 

Briefly, the two issues I wanted addressed were 1) special occasion cake orders filled incorrectly, and 2) rude and extremely unprofessional behaviour on the part of a Carnival-sponsored excursion guide. (For those interested, details are in my review of my cruise on the CC Review board.)

 

I asked for a refund of approximately $30 for the three cakes that were not delivered as ordered. I did not ask for anything regarding the tour guide except reassurance that others would not be subjected to such behavior in the future, including me if I ever make it back to that port of call again.

 

My first letter was ignored, so I sent a second, along with a copy of the first letter, asking again for a response. I finally received an answer this weekend. Carnival, while acknowledging that I did not receive the cakes as ordered, refuses to "compensate" me for them...Compensate? Try refund! $30 is not that much, but the idea of being charged for goods not delivered as ordered bothers me. As for the excursion guide's behavior, they will "pass along my comments" to the tour company. Not, "We agree that the behaviour you described is unacceptable." Not, "We are sorry you had a bad experience on an excursion sponsored by our company." No. Just, "We'll pass along your comments."

 

I really, really wanted to report that Carnival stepped up to the plate and took care of me. I would very much like to hear your opinions. Should I try to carry this further, or just accept Carnival's indifference? :confused:

[MeLuvDaSea]

Ditto on the cake problem. I bought an anniversary cake for my daughter and her husband well in advance of the cruise. It did not show up on the first night, so my daughter complained about it to the office. She was assured it would be there the next night (her husband didn't know about it- it was supposed to be a suprise.) Well, no cake again on the 2nd night. So she went to the office and told them to cancel the order. She no longer wanted it. She was just tired of the no-show cake thing. I mean, it's an anniversary! Things should happen according to plans. It finally showed up on the 4th night with a complementary bottle of champaign. I think the champaign was a nice touch, to make up for the initial failures. BUT- since she had cancelled it after the first 2 no-shows, there ought to have also been a refund... We are not upset about it; this post just reminded me, is all.... I love Carnival.

[mrdood]

I assume you accepted and consumed the cakes? If so, I am unsure that you deserve the full money back for them - if you did not receive them - of course you deserve the money back. Either way, you certainly deserved a sincere apology - only you can decide if you received it. Certainly drink coupons would have been nice - but maybe that only applies to me...

 

As far as the guides go, we had some terrible ones in GC - on a Carnival sponsored tour. The problem with complaining about it, is that you really needed to find out which company and take it to that company's leadership (in my opinion). Carnival contracts with them, and while they can make or break a contractor, I think it is too much time and money for them to sort out all the companies they deal with - which is a ton!

 

So, a tough call only you are capable of making.

[newsier]

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[Ship Addict]

* **** y**r p*****

 

* h*** *r**s*d **r***** s**** '91, **m*s* * *r**s* * y**r **d ** s**w*y ***s w*rs* **d w*rs*, *** **d, * r****y **j*y*d *h* sh*ps**

 

* h*** wr***** *h*m **s*, * ***p** ** **m*s ***r *h* y**rs, * s*** my *****rs ** *** D**k*rs**** * **w*ys r******d * r*p*y, m*s* ** *h* **m* *y ****ph*** **d **** *hr***h my **** ****r *r*m *** *h***h**********************

 

* **s* w*s*'* ***k*** **r **mp**s***** * j*s* w****d my *r**s* **** ** s**y *r*****

 

** y** w*** ** k**p ** ***** *ry wr***** *****

 

***d ***k********************

 

 

HUH??

[serene56]

Sometimes its the small things that cause the most aggravation. I ordered a cake usin gonline gifts from Carnival-- the girl never got the cake-- after going back and forth using emails, phone calls and real mail for about 3 months.. for 7.95 it jsut wasnt worth it no more.

 

I will no longer order through the gift services and will call and speak to a person or wait til onboard.

 

May I ask what was wrong with the cakes? Did you accept them? Do you eat them? If it was wrong-- you could have refused it

[cheshyrkat]

I think the boards are freaking out...it's making some letters show up as ***

[momofzeke]

You said the cake orders were "filled incorrectly". Does that mean you got the cakes, but they were for the wrong occassion (birthday instead of anniversary), or they were delivered on the wrong night, or what? I think if you accepted the cakes and ate them, you should not expect a refund. An apology or a complimentary gift of some kind from Carnival would have been nice, though.

 

As far as the excursion guide, that's a tough one. I do feel Carnival should have acknowledged the rude behavior and apologized. Maybe the guy was just having a bad day? Not that it excuses his behavior at all.

 

I will say that I had a problem caused by a PVP that left Carnival, and I kept calling Customer Relations, and they finally fixed the problem beyond my expectations. It did take 4 phone calls, though. So, I guess if this issue is bothering you, it might be worth contacting Customer Relations to see if they can help you. Good luck!

[serene56]

I think the boards are freaking out...it's making some letters show up as ***

 

I thought it was me-- there is something major goin gon here. I had a post that posted one word on every post.

[VolzCruiser]

TexasGreeneyes,

 

I have run in to a similar problem with a company before but not with Carnival. Now I can't say that my experience is the same as yours but I had ordered flowers for my wife on her birthday well the flowers didn't get there until the next day. I know this seems not to be on the subject but I will get to the point. I went back and forth with the florist and couldn't get anything resolved. I then called my credit card company and disputed the charges and had them removed. My credit card company went to bat for me since I am their customer. At this point and time the florist was willing to work with me on the bill and we came to an agreement. I am not saying this is what you should do but you might want to call you CC and see if they cover these types of things. Cause you really didn't get what you paid for and there might be provisions with you cc.

[zqvol]

I sailed the Conquest this past November and really had a great time overall. But there were two negative occurences that I thought needed addressed, so I wrote to Guest Relations after I returned home. My letter made a point of saying how much I enjoyed the cruise overall, and gave details about many good and enjoyable aspects of my trip. It was not just a gripe session.

 

Briefly, the two issues I wanted addressed were 1) special occasion cake orders filled incorrectly, and 2) rude and extremely unprofessional behaviour on the part of a Carnival-sponsored excursion guide. (For those interested, details are in my review of my cruise on the CC Review board.)

 

I asked for a refund of approximately $30 for the three cakes that were not delivered as ordered. I did not ask for anything regarding the tour guide except reassurance that others would not be subjected to such behavior in the future, including me if I ever make it back to that port of call again.

 

My first letter was ignored, so I sent a second, along with a copy of the first letter, asking again for a response. I finally received an answer this weekend. Carnival, while acknowledging that I did not receive the cakes as ordered, refuses to "compensate" me for them...Compensate? Try refund! $30 is not that much, but the idea of being charged for goods not delivered as ordered bothers me. As for the excursion guide's behavior, they will "pass along my comments" to the tour company. Not, "We agree that the behaviour you described is unacceptable." Not, "We are sorry you had a bad experience on an excursion sponsored by our company." No. Just, "We'll pass along your comments."

 

I really, really wanted to report that Carnival stepped up to the plate and took care of me. I would very much like to hear your opinions. Should I try to carry this further, or just accept Carnival's indifference? :confused:

I think you should have dealt with it while on board. At this time what are you going to accomplish. A tiny room credit on your next trip. Of course if you ate the cakes I think you have done all that you can do.

[mrdood]

I think you should have dealt with it while on board. At this time what are you going to accomplish. A tiny room credit on your next trip. Of course if you ate the cakes I think you have done all that you can do.

 

You read about so many problems where people try to work it out with corporate, what should have done is to take care of it on board. I know in our company if you went to corporate to complain about one of the local offices, they would just shrug their shoulders.

 

If I had a complaint about something on board, I would resolve it on board.

 

The ones that really crack me up are the ones that come home and stew about it for months, then fire off an e-mail to UB and expect some kind of response - rare if it even happens...

[texas greeneyes]

I think you should have dealt with it while on board. At this time what are you going to accomplish. A tiny room credit on your next trip. Of course if you ate the cakes I think you have done all that you can do.

 

I did deal with it while onboard the ship. After pointing out the mistake and being referred to the maitre d', I was eventually given a letter from the purser that stated that it had been determined that the cakes were delivered as ordered, and that I would therefore be charged for them. :eek:

 

I did not eat, or even see, the cakes. They were ordered to be delivered to my stateroom, to use the following day for a surprise baby shower for my sister. They were delivered instead to the dining room, after I had left for the evening. Because of this I had no opportunity to refuse them and no one else knew to do so. This mistake caused the surprise for my sister to be spoiled. :( It also made for a cake-less shower the next day. :rolleyes: (I do not know how much of the cakes were consumed, since I was not present.)

 

I did not include the above details in my OP today in the interest of brevity, but they are included in my review on the CC Review board.

 

Thank you everyone, for your opinions. Keep them coming!

[simkoreb]

Carnival messed up a cake my dad ordered too! I shouldn't say messed it up, but the lady working forgot to deliver it!!! If I didn't go down and say something, we never would have gotten it. She was apologetic, but it seems like this is a common occurance....seems like they need a better system...

[zqvol]

I did deal with it while onboard the ship. After pointing out the mistake and being referred to the maitre d', I was eventually given a letter from the purser that stated that it had been determined that the cakes were delivered as ordered, and that I would therefore be charged for them. :eek:

 

I did not eat, or even see, the cakes. They were ordered to be delivered to my stateroom, to use the following day for a surprise baby shower for my sister. They were delivered instead to the dining room, after I had left for the evening. Because of this I had no opportunity to refuse them and no one else knew to do so. This mistake caused the surprise for my sister to be spoiled. :( It also made for a cake-less shower the next day. :rolleyes: (I do not know how much of the cakes were consumed, since I was not present.)

 

I did not include the above details in my OP today in the interest of brevity, but they are included in my review on the CC Review board.

 

Thank you everyone, for your opinions. Keep them coming!

In light of what you say, IMHO the $30 is not worth the worry becasue carnival is not likely to do any thing to resolve the issue. I think your other point is well taken but out of Carnival's control.

[martdm]

Although I can understand your disappointment at the first cake you ordered simply saying "happy birthday" rather than having your custom message, it does seem that it was delivered as requested for the birthday celebration and presumably consumed by the group. It seems a small thing to get worked up over as the message did match the occasion (although it wasn't exactly what you desired) and the logistics worked out.

 

According to your review, your family was in receipt of the cakes in the dining room after you had excused yourself early from the meal. Again, you don't state whether they were consumed, but I'm presuming from your description that they were. Although they may have been incorrectly delivered, if your sisters had simply pointed out the error and refused them or requested that they be packaged for delivery/transport back to the cabin, there would have been cake for the party. The mistake having spoiled the surprise for your sister is surely disappointing but you can't blame Carnival for the fact that your family chose to consume them when delivered.

 

Really, this just amounts to some small logistical problems on the part of Carnival and, although you were owed an apology and perhaps a little something to make amends for the errors (perhaps you would have received a bottle of champagne or something had your family refused the erroneously delivered cakes in the dining room, giving you a chance to follow up on the order later or the next day), I don't think you are legitimately owed a refund for cakes that your family did accept and consume.

 

It is a hard lesson for sure and your story probably will help others be certain to double check all special orders and to deal with any problems at the moment rather than trying to resolve them after the fact. I'm sorry you were disappointed but it sounds like you & your sisters had a grand time! Focus on that & forget the cakes...nobody will remember the cakes, just the laughs you all had!

[tinna2000]

i wouldn't stress over it anymore, just let it go and move on with life, i ordered a cake to be delivered to my cabin for my son when i got on the ship, it came to the diningroom instead. carnival is looking at the fact that you got a cake, it might not be in the place or day you wanted it to be, but you got one. that is why they are not going to compensate you.

[b8tzm]

It's amusing how Carnival always appears to be in the wrong when things go wrong.

 

I'd love to see a copy of the original order.

 

This reminds me of the guy at Flemings that complained his steak was medium not rare and wanted it no charge, I found fault , that it was already digested when he complained.

 

Did you order it properly, do you have a copy? Did you eat it? If all this was so important you should have seen the Chief Purser and/or one of the head maitre des and even the captains representative if necessary

 

We still don't have all of the facts. Time to move on in my opinion. The recipient knows you meant well :)

[Lewdog]

You know, stories like this, (while I do have sympathy) really to me say..."save the specials occasions for home" I mean sure cruise to celebrate whatever but you hear so often about anniversaries, weddings, b-days, etc. ruined. Screw it, save the cake for home, enjoy the cruise for what it is.

[Lewdog]

You know, stories like this, (while I do have sympathy) really to me say..."save the specials occasions for home" I mean sure cruise to celebrate whatever but you hear so often about anniversaries, weddings, b-days, etc. ruined. Screw it, save the cake for home, enjoy the cruise for what it is.

[Lewdog]

I won't apologize for double posts, those are fault of the lame server used here, not my posting!

[jsaadat]

Texas.......... how many times are you going to post this issue........

[salty dingo]

It amazes me that a company will risk the goodwill of a passenger, and all the future dollars they can bring, for a measly $30 refund request. You have to wonder who is manning the help desk at Carnival!

[sofunky]

our first cruise I ordered a b-day cake for my son and it was perfect...more than that they sang happy birthday in 3 different languages!

 

but this past month we went on another cruise for our anniv. I had ordered the choc. strawberries and a bottle of wine to be delivered on the 4th night for our anniv. (which the ticket clearly stated on top of the tray that was put in our room) but it was there upon arrival on the first night. After a few phone calls and a ruined suprise they took them back and brought them on the right night. I would not even have cared and kept them the first night if our TA wouldnt have been the nice girl she was and sent a cake and a few other goodies to our room the first day as well...we had a chocolate overload....but a wonderful time. I will still use the service again if the occasion arrises. the cake is out of this world! Hope things didn't spoil your trip...cuz ours was a blast! On the countdown to the next voyage!

[cruznon]

Then there's this story..... I arranged to have a birthday cake delivered on my Mom's 80th birthday (in the dining room) It didn't come the first night. The dining room staff felt terrible. She ended up getting three cakes that week!!!! (And they sang "Happy Birthday" each time!)