Carnival PVP Question

[littlemoos]

My PVP has not returned my messages for the last couple of weeks.  How much longer should I give them before reaching out to Carnival?  I don't know if this person was affected by the Hurricane or not.  Planning on a cruise in May 2020, but want to get it booked soon!  Thanks for any assistance.

[coevan]

that would be up to you, if you to go the first person who answers the phone or a T.A.

[OnePsychLynne]

6 hours ago, littlemoos said:

My PVP has not returned my messages for the last couple of weeks.  How much longer should I give them before reaching out to Carnival?  I don't know if this person was affected by the Hurricane or not.  Planning on a cruise in May 2020, but want to get it booked soon!  Thanks for any assistance.

 

If you've sent multiple messages with no response I would try to find another PVP. 

[Organized Chaos]

OP, are you leaving voicemail messages or emails? Our first PVP refused to correspond through emails. We eventually got a different one, who we still have and like, but he won’t communicate via email either. I don’t know what it is about them. 

 

When they go on vacation, or actually leave the company, they usually hand their bookings over to an alternate, who then contacts those people to let them know. You can try to call Carnival to see if they know if that PVP is still with Carnival. I’d ask to be transferred to a supervisor in that department because the 800 reps. aren’t always aware of things.

[teknoge3k]

I'd just go ahead and book it online. That way you get the cabin and dining time you want and have it booked. If the PVP isn't returning your texts or emails then it's their loss. You don't need a middle man to book a cruise directly on Carnivals website. 

[xDisconnections]

I just book online or call the 1800 number for all cruises. The majority of my cruises are booked at weird hours very late at night and I don't like waiting around to work on someone else's schedule.

[pacruise804]

6 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

OP, are you leaving voicemail messages or emails? Our first PVP refused to correspond through emails. We eventually got a different one, who we still have and like, but he won’t communicate via email either. I don’t know what it is about them. 

 

When they go on vacation, or actually leave the company, they usually hand their bookings over to an alternate, who then contacts those people to let them know. You can try to call Carnival to see if they know if that PVP is still with Carnival. I’d ask to be transferred to a supervisor in that department because the 800 reps. aren’t always aware of things.

 

I wonder if their rules prohibit it, relying on recorded phone conversations.  It doesn't make sense to me, but our PVP won't do much with e-mail either.

[buddylover]

I, too would book online, if the cabin of your choice is showing up.  If not, call CCL, and they can let you know if the cabin you want is available and book it for you.  You most certainly do not need a PVP to book....they give nothing more, nothing less than you can get on your own.  We book our own all the time on all the cruise lines (unless we find a GREAT offer with GREAT perks offered through a TA - but then you lose control of your booking directly with the cruiselines).  

[Organized Chaos]

3 hours ago, pacruise804 said:

I wonder if their rules prohibit it, relying on recorded phone conversations.  It doesn't make sense to me, but our PVP won't do much with e-mail either.

 

The only emails I ever got from the first one we had were him saying, "Call me." LOL I've talked to others who say theirs will correspond through email, but they've never gone into detail about just how much. Sometimes I just have a question or two that doesn't really require a phone call and it's convenient to fire off an email.

 

3 hours ago, buddylover said:

You most certainly do not need a PVP to book....they give nothing more, nothing less than you can get on your own.

 

I agree that simple bookings are easy to do on your own and don't require much, if any, assistance. With that said, there are times when things come up when your "nothing more, nothing less" statement isn't necessarily true. Ours straightened out a pretty big mess we ended up in when another family backed out on us. In addition to having to fix our issues with all of the cabins, the regular customer service rep. who booked it had fouled up the financials between my family and the other. It's something we couldn't have cleared up on our own, and since an 800 rep. caused part of the problem, I wasn't going to entrust another one to fix it. The right PVP can help alleviate headaches at times.

[christyran1228]

Mine emails, gives work & cell number, and has a facebook where he will answer messenger questions.   I wish I could share his name with you, he's awesome.

[buddylover]

14 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

I agree that simple bookings are easy to do on your own and don't require much, if any, assistance. With that said, there are times when things come up when your "nothing more, nothing less" statement isn't necessarily true. Ours straightened out a pretty big mess we ended up in when another family backed out on us. In addition to having to fix our issues with all of the cabins, the regular customer service rep. who booked it had fouled up the financials between my family and the other. It's something we couldn't have cleared up on our own, and since an 800 rep. caused part of the problem, I wasn't going to entrust another one to fix it. The right PVP can help alleviate headaches at times.

That worked out well for you....but in all of our cruising, thankfully, I have never had anything come up that we could not 'fix' on our own thru the reg cust service reps or their supervisors.  We have not had a single PVP on any cruise lines that was 'worth' their use....as a matter of fact, the PVP's messed up our bookings many times, necessitating many calls to fix from PVP's that don't return calls and don't care after they have booked you...... and we have not had any such issues since we have booked on our own.  To each their own - what works for one may not work for another, but as I relayed to the OP......you can do anything a PVP can do for you on your own and I stand by that.

[ishap]

17 hours ago, christyran1228 said:

Mine emails, gives work & cell number, and has a facebook where he will answer messenger questions.   I wish I could share his name with you, he's awesome.

 

Sounds like the same one I have.  He does all those as well, plus has his own FB group to advertise specials.

[MistyRo76]

22 hours ago, pacruise804 said:

 

I wonder if their rules prohibit it, relying on recorded phone conversations.  It doesn't make sense to me, but our PVP won't do much with e-mail either.

My PVP will answer questions via email, but when it comes to the actual booking she requests that we do that by phone. Sounds like it's a policy thing. 

[Organized Chaos]

17 hours ago, christyran1228 said:

Mine emails, gives work & cell number, and has a facebook where he will answer messenger questions.   I wish I could share his name with you, he's awesome.

 

Ours did give us his cell number, but I hate using it because I feel guilty if I catch him during his off time. There has been a couple of times, though, when he's insisted on helping us during his personal time. I do wish he'd answer emails, but taking into consideration how he's treated us and some of the things he's done for us, I'm willing to look past the no emails thing.

 

He does have a facebook group pertaining to his Carnival "clients," but I rarely use fb, so I've never joined it. I don't know what he uses it for exactly, how active it is, or if he'll correspond through fb messenger. Maybe I could give it a try sometime.

 

10 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

My PVP will answer questions via email, but when it comes to the actual booking she requests that we do that by phone. Sounds like it's a policy thing. 

 

That's all I've ever tried to email him for...minor questions that we've had. I'd never try to book through email. There's just times when I have a question and emailing is more convenient than calling. And there's times when I don't think these questions warrant a phone call. Just getting back to us with an answer when he has time is all I ask, but I guess it's just not his style.

 

One time I submitted a price match on my own and Carnival denied it. I was certain that the reason they used was wrong, so I emailed our PVP with the information, and 45 minutes later, our balance was adjusted. I have to assume that was his doing, so I know he's seeing my emails.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Organized Chaos

[RWolver672]

On 9/10/2019 at 7:28 AM, Organized Chaos said:

OP, are you leaving voicemail messages or emails? Our first PVP refused to correspond through emails. We eventually got a different one, who we still have and like, but he won’t communicate via email either. I don’t know what it is about them. 

 

 

Our PVP explained to me that it's easier to talk with the customers in person over the phone.  With e-mails, there's a chance of miss communication and back and forth e-mails.  While on the phone, they can tell you all of the cabins that are available, which ones connect with others, which balconies connect, ask about dining preferences, on and on.  That's a lot quicker than a chain of e-mails over the course of a few days.  

 

Ours will answer by e-mails simple questions though.  The first time we used him, our booking showed that we had to pay our deposit by a certain date.  We had already paid the deposit.  I e-mailed him and asked about it.  He answered my e-mail right away and said that I should just ignore it.  

[beshears]

I have always had a TA for my 19 cruises so far, until I decided to TRY and see what a PVP with Carnival would do.  To make the long story short, I went through the same incident that you are talking about, trying to reach them by email, phone, etc., and no response.  I finally went through Carnival and told them I needed to find out if my PVP was STILL working for them, and gave them the number she had given me.  A man answered the phone and told me she was in meetings, and I knew her cell phone was filled to the brim, so i could not leave any messages.  I told him I would give it a couple more days, than I was planning on going another direction.  This time, when I tried to contact her, and TOLD her my deli ma, she responded right back!  She also has my cell# in her phone, so she knows when I call.  I don't call that often, but since I had always had a TA, and was able to get a hold of them as they were close by, it does make a difference. I think my only drawback will that I will not be getting any OBC which is not much, but something from my

TA, where I don't believe I will get anything like that from this one.  If that is the case, then I will probably go back to the TA.

[jsglow]

Some PVPs are absolutely great.  Love ours.  Be stunned of my communication to her didn't elicit a response within a couple hours.  Similarly, she knows not to BS call me when I'm simply poking around on the internet.  Our relationship goes back a full decade at this point.

[Organized Chaos]

4 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

Ours will answer by e-mails simple questions though.  The first time we used him, our booking showed that we had to pay our deposit by a certain date.  We had already paid the deposit.  I e-mailed him and asked about it.  He answered my e-mail right away and said that I should just ignore it.  

 

That's all I'm asking for, but we can't even get that much out of him. Other than that, we're happy with him.

 

37 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Similarly, she knows not to BS call me when I'm simply poking around on the internet.

 

I've seen a lot of people say their PVP's will always call when they see their people looking up cruises. I guess some like that attention, but I'm glad ours isn't one of them. Much of the time we're just having a look-see and I don't want to be called that much. It'd feel too much like a car salesman.

[10Jan54]

When you call what does the answering message say?  That should let you know if on vaca, or if it's a different person I would figure they left the company.

[coevan]

did the mods ever explain why naming PVP is so taboo? I don't use them, just curious.

[originalgeek]

On 9/10/2019 at 5:25 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

The only emails I ever got from the first one we had were him saying, "Call me." LOL I've talked to others who say theirs will correspond through email, but they've never gone into detail about just how much. Sometimes I just have a question or two that doesn't really require a phone call and it's convenient to fire off an email.

 

 

I'm one of the ones that has a PVP who answers emails - he's never more than a few minutes usually but it could go up to half a day if I ask him something at a weird hour late at night.  We've talked on the phone too but I like email best and he accommodates that.  
 

 

[originalgeek]

1 minute ago, xDisconnections said:

What is there to stop a PVP coming in here, posing as someone else, and suggesting said person utilizing their services. Only TripAdvisor, the parent company of Cruise Critic, is permitted to monetize and receive revenue or incentives from this website.

ahh well that explains it.  I had read it was something to do with travel agency backing the site but didn't know who it was.  

[RWolver672]

17 hours ago, coevan said:

did the mods ever explain why naming PVP is so taboo? I don't use them, just curious.

 

For basically the same reason that they won't allow a TA to advertise their business on here.  The site would be flooded with fake names all saying that "Joe Blow" is the best PVP or "Fly By Night" is the best TA.

[blakeamy]

My PVP has booked several cruises for me via email. I’ll usually screenshot exactly what I want to book, I’ll receive email confirmation of my booking, then I’ll make the deposit payment. 

[beshears]

Well if this is "true," then I learned something today.  This is the first time I had ever heard that Trip Advisor was the parent company of Cruise Critic.  Nice to know!  Sort of like the large company I retired from which was DFA, but was the parent company of Frito-Lay, Borden, StarBucks, etc. 🙂