Disappointing Elation Cruise- All ports missed

[pacruise804]

5 hours ago, HMM said:

Just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Elation.  Departed Canaveral on 1/11.  Missed all scheduled ports of call!  Missed Amber Cove DR due to engine malfunction.  According to the crew the engine couldn’t maintain enough propulsion to make it to the port.  They didn’t bother to tell us until about 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival, even though they knew of the problem overnight.  They then said, don’t worry, we’ll be in Grand Turk the next day.  The next day, the captain called off Grand Turk due to high winds after a couple of failed approaches.  On the way out we saw another larger newer ship approaching Grand Turk.  A review of the Grand Turk port website showed that ship was able to dock.  After 3 sea days, we finally ported in Nassau.  Not a fan of Nassau.  The only compensation was $50 per person onboard credit for each port missed- total $100 credit.  Clearly insufficient.  If not for the fact we were a large group traveling together and made the most of it and still had fun, it could have been a real problem. 
 

I would suggest avoiding this ship.  It has had similar problems in the past.  In the past it was reported the passengers also got a 50% credit for future cruise, which was not offered to us.  Has anyone had success following up with CCL after the cruise to obtain more compensation such as future cruise credit?

 

I'm not sure why you feel the amount was insufficient or why being part of a large group was the only way to make the most of it and have fun? 

 

Our my Sunrise cruise last September we also didn't make our scheduled port (Bermuda) and instead were diverted to Charleston.  Due to the hurricane we had awful sailing conditions and many onboard were seasick (including my husband).  We did receive a future cruise credit (and the difference in port charges), but many would have preferred onboard credit for the port missed - they didn't want to cruise Carnival again or didn't have the time/resources to take another cruise within 18 months.  Carnival was very generous (in both of our situations), and still will not please everyone.

 

I (and I assume you) still had food, shelter, entertainment (even if limited from the conditions), and transportation back to the port.  Even when my husband was sick we were still able to enjoy movies in the room and get some much needed rest.  While it wasn't Bermuda, Charleston was still a great port.  Nassau can be too if you have a flexible attitude.

 

I hope your next vacation is more enjoyable.

[evandbob]

Imagine if the Captain had persisted in attempting to dock when winds and tides were preventing the ship from doing so safely.  Imagine that the ship then crashed into the dock, damaging the pier and causing a tear in the hull that made the ship unseaworthy.  Imagine that the cruise couldn't continue after wards and pax were forced to abort their sailing and fly home.

 

Imagine the OP's post to CC castigating the Captain and Carnival for being so arrogant and reckless.

Edited January 17, 2020 by evandbob

[Garf]

6 hours ago, Tapi said:

First of all, sorry that you missed the ports. From personal experience, I know how disappointing it can be. 
 

About another ship making it later while yours didn’t, I know how infuriating that can seem. But keep in mind that various factors go into play. Ship capabilities, weather conditions at the specific time of arrival, and the Captain’s comfort level and decision making process.
 

In an attempt to explain your situation using aviation terms (where I have some expertise), I’m going to start by saying that not all airplanes have the same capabilities. Some have more strict wind limitations than others, and some can land in almost zero visibility while others aren’t certified to go that low. There are times when airplanes can’t make it into an airport due to winds/visibility and they need to divert, but 30 minutes later the conditions have improved enough for other airplanes to land safely and within limitations. While not exactly the same, similar factors most likely apply to cruise ship operations
 

Maybe at your specific time of arrival, winds were not conducive to safe docking while an hour or two later they could’ve been. but by then, the window to go to Nassau so that the ship would have enough time to cover that distance and at least give you a day in port would’ve been missed. Rather than bobbing around near Grand Turk waiting for conditions to maybe improve, and then potentially missing the chance to go somewhere else and thus being forced to have even more disappointment with another day at sea, it seems that Carnival made the right decision under the circumstances to go to Nassau.. 
 

There are many behind the scenes factors and people involved that go into making these decisions, several which are beyond the comprehension of the average passenger. Decades of training an experience are many times hard to condense into a few sentences which passengers can understand, which in turn leaves many feeling the way that you’re feeling. 
 

Once again, sorry to hear that your original ports of call were canceled and that you went to Nassau instead, but I’m confident that the decisions made were with safety as the top priority, and giving you the best vacation possible under the circumstances as a second priority. And that, in my humble opinion, is more than enough compensation. 

Love your expertise , as a pilot too, this was well said.

[jdemps]

I think you should also have been given a refund for the port fees for those two ports missed.  You got $100 on top of that to spend on board instead of leaving the ship.  It's always a risk when you cruise to miss ports or leave late or whatever but its a bummer when it actually happens.

[Haveuseen1]

We had a similar experience on the Elation in Sept 2019.  We were provided with OBC and a 50% refund of the cruise fare ( towards another cruise ).  We did go to Nassau for an overnight.  The ship was having a propulsion issue and could not get over 9-10 knots.  It was not the trip we were looking for, but we had a great time.

 

Overall condition of the Elation was nice, I would not consider it a rust bucket by any means.

 

It is something that can happen that is out of our control, but you just have to roll with it.  Of course I have no idea if this is the same issue that occurred in Sept.  

 

Hate to hear you were disappointed, hopefully your next cruise will exceed all of your expectations.

[seaturtle_808]

Ports are a large component of why people book cruises. And if it's a ship issue, such as the propulsion system, and not like a weather/Mother Nature issue then I do feel like the cruise line should do more. And I wouldn't put it past Carnival that they blamed the wind when it was really a combination of wind and propulsion issue for Grand Turk. They're probably especially on edge about wind after the recent Carnival Glory mishap. 

 

I especially think this way with the older Carnival ships, like the Elation, which aren't necessarily a destination ship in themselves that you'd want sea day after sea day on. I'd be bored out of my mind if I was on the Elation for two additional sea days and only got one port. 

 

I hope you get your 50% future cruise credit. I personally don't think that's asking a lot (though I see others may disagree and everyone's welcome to their opinion) and I've heard of a lot of people getting a similiar offer with propulsion issues. Best of luck.

[scpirate]

2 hours ago, seaturtle_808 said:

Ports are a large component of why people book cruises. And if it's a ship issue, such as the propulsion system, and not like a weather/Mother Nature issue then I do feel like the cruise line should do more. And I wouldn't put it past Carnival that they blamed the wind when it was really a combination of wind and propulsion issue for Grand Turk. They're probably especially on edge about wind after the recent Carnival Glory mishap. 

 

I especially think this way with the older Carnival ships, like the Elation, which aren't necessarily a destination ship in themselves that you'd want sea day after sea day on. I'd be bored out of my mind if I was on the Elation for two additional sea days and only got one port. 

 

I hope you get your 50% future cruise credit. I personally don't think that's asking a lot (though I see others may disagree and everyone's welcome to their opinion) and I've heard of a lot of people getting a similiar offer with propulsion issues. Best of luck.

I'm with you.let everyone else drink the Kool aid..

[KmomChicago]

22 hours ago, HMM said:

In today’s world we have come to expect mediocrity. I, for one, do not accept that, and do not function that way in my business. When I screw something up, I try to make it right.  While the weather is beyond the control of a cruise line, when they have a ship that has had engine problems in the recent past, and they don’t adequately fix or repair it to the point it happens again causing many well laid out plans to get screwed up- I do expect adequate compensation.  Particularly when they don’t adequately keep customers informed.   I don’t expect handouts, but do expect a cruise line to give you what they represent, such as a properly functioning vessel, when you sign on and pay. 

 

Years ago on Disney of all lines, which of course strives to never disappoint a guest, we had to miss Castaway Cay due to weather issues on a short, weekend 3 night cruise.  We sailed Friday afternoon; were supposed to do Nassau Saturday and Castaway Sunday.  Instead we had an unplanned sea day Saturday with a dropped anchor, literally just outside the international waters line in unappealing, gray, Atlantic water with a far off view of the Florida coastline. Late in the day they pulled up and we sailed overnight to Nassau for the weirdest day ever as everything was closed on a Sunday.  And back to port Monday morning. No compensation, even though people sailed specifically to visit Castaway. Part of the cruise industry.

[AL3XCruise]

16 hours ago, seaturtle_808 said:

And I wouldn't put it past Carnival that they blamed the wind when it was really a combination of wind and propulsion issue for Grand Turk. They're probably especially on edge about wind after the recent Carnival Glory mishap. 

 

While they may be on edge after the Glory mishap, the propulsion issue probably isn't impacting the decision at Grand Turk.  Only a fraction of the ship's power is needed for docking when compared to operating at cruising speeds, so the vast majority of speed impacting problems don't preclude docking.  Getting to the port on time, of course, is an issue, but the OP states they had arrived in Grand Turk but simply couldn't dock.

 

Of course, the combination of propulsion nixing one port and weather preventing another is still an unfortunate one for passengers.

[ed01106]

I see a huge difference between missing a port because of weather or other situation outside the responsibility of the cruiseline and missing a port because the company failed to keep the ship in proper operating condition.  

 

And ports are a major portion of the reason to cruise.  The compensating should be more than $50 per person in OBC it should be enough for a person to entertain themselves for the day on the ship otherwise the ship is probably making money by skipping ports in extra revenue at the bars, specialty restaurants, spa etc.

[chengkp75]

7 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

I see a huge difference between missing a port because of weather or other situation outside the responsibility of the cruiseline and missing a port because the company failed to keep the ship in proper operating condition.  

And I see a huge difference between a ship that had an unexpected failure of an engine, and a ship "the company failed to keep in proper operating condition".  Please advise your source of information that the ship's maintenance was substandard.

[jimbo5544]

18 hours ago, seaturtle_808 said:

Ports are a large component of why people book cruises. And if it's a ship issue, such as the propulsion system, and not like a weather/Mother Nature issue then I do feel like the cruise line should do more. And I wouldn't put it past Carnival that they blamed the wind when it was really a combination of wind and propulsion issue for Grand Turk. They're probably especially on edge about wind after the recent Carnival Glory mishap. 

 

I especially think this way with the older Carnival ships, like the Elation, which aren't necessarily a destination ship in themselves that you'd want sea day after sea day on. I'd be bored out of my mind if I was on the Elation for two additional sea days and only got one port. 

 

I hope you get your 50% future cruise credit. I personally don't think that's asking a lot (though I see others may disagree and everyone's welcome to their opinion) and I've heard of a lot of people getting a similiar offer with propulsion issues. Best of luck.

Asking for 50% credit is absurb, but you can always ask.  

[mmmongo]

Interestingly, I've seen people posting to Heald on FB.  He claims to be looking into what he can do.  I would presume nothing, but who knows.  I was not on this cruise, but know someone who was.... between this and missing out on Mardi Gras inaugural, she is pretty peeved with Carnival right now.  Can't blame her for being aggravated.

[jimbo5544]

13 hours ago, mmmongo said:

Interestingly, I've seen people posting to Heald on FB.  He claims to be looking into what he can do.  I would presume nothing, but who knows.  I was not on this cruise, but know someone who was.... between this and missing out on Mardi Gras inaugural, she is pretty peeved with Carnival right now.  Can't blame her for being aggravated.

Disappointed and aggravated and justified are all different things.  None of these events are within Carnivals controls, so anything they do is a plus.  

[mmmongo]

42 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Disappointed and aggravated and justified are all different things.  None of these events are within Carnivals controls, so anything they do is a plus.  

 

Oh, I agree they are different.  Although I would stop short of saying propulsion issues are not in Carnival's control.  Still, it IS in the contract, so they didn't have to compensate what they did.....

[jimbo5544]

22 hours ago, ed01106 said:

I see a huge difference between missing a port because of weather or other situation outside the responsibility of the cruiseline and missing a port because the company failed to keep the ship in proper operating condition.  

 

And ports are a major portion of the reason to cruise.  The compensating should be more than $50 per person in OBC it should be enough for a person to entertain themselves for the day on the ship otherwise the ship is probably making money by skipping ports in extra revenue at the bars, specialty restaurants, spa etc.

It is certainly not about making money, and you might want to review the cruise contract for what they are required to do.   Anything (repeat) anything above that is because they are a good partner.  

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, mmmongo said:

 

Oh, I agree they are different.  Although I would stop short of saying propulsion issues are not in Carnival's control.  Still, it IS in the contract, so they didn't have to compensate what they did.....

If the propulsion issues were their responsibility (cause) in the past they have stepped up to the plate in spades. I can cite many times.  

[Eli_6]

There is a difference between what Carnival is "legally required" to do under their contract and what is the right thing to do/makes good business sense in terms of instilling good will in cruisers.  Missing two of three ports with no notice and the only compensation provided is $100 OBC would prompt me to reach out to Carnival. 

 

I think sometimes regular cruisers forget to put themselves in the shoes of others. Missing my 7th time in Cozumel would not be a big deal to me.  But if I missed two days of ports on my upcoming Norwegian Fjords cruise, when the #1 reason I chose that specific boat and sailing and flew halfway around the world and went through hell to get childcare for my kids for 10+ days was specifically because of the ports, and only was given $100 for OBC...heck, yes, I would be upset!  And while for many of us taking a cruise is an annual or semi-annual occurrence, for some people this is a once-in-a-lifetime event or, at least, something that is a big deal.

 

I also don't think $100 OBC is consistent with similar offers Carnival has extended at other times to cruisers. In my experience, I usually think of Carnival as going "above and beyond" in these circumstance...not merely doing what they have to under their "legal duty."    For example, the Dream out of Galveston was a day late getting in this past weekend due to fog--something completely out of Carnival's control. Thus, it left a day late and cruised to nowhere.  Supposedly, passengers were given a choice between not boarding and receiving a full refund, or boarding and getting a 50 percent future cruise credit and 50 percent refund. This is hearsay as I was not a passenger personally.  However, I have twice been given significant FCCs for canceled cruises -- one time canceled days before and received 100 percent FCC and 100 percent refund. Another time (with Mardis Gras), cancelled 10 months out and received 25 percent FCC (in my case over $1300) and $200 OBC and refund.  In none of the above circumstances was Carnival legally "required" to do what they did.  But they did anyway.  

 

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by Eli_6

[Eli_6]

The one thing I will say in Carnival's defense about not docking even with the port being open and another ship docking:  After the Glory situation, I suspect the captains are being overly cautious.  And, frankly, I would rather them be overly-cautious than not cautious enough.  Docking a cruise ship isn't like docking a 20 foot run-about and some of these cruise docks are shockingly narrow.   

[Eli_6]

Just saw the part about the 50 percent FCC.  (Missed it the first time.  My bad.) I do think that is a bit extreme. The Mardis Gras cancelled sailing only got 25% and for many of us, that involved canceled international plans and an entirely canceled cruise.    I was thinking more along the lines of maybe $250 above the $100 already given.  50 percent for all the passengers is extreme. For suites, that might be a couple grand!  

[Rudyard]

1 hour ago, mmmongo said:

 

Oh, I agree they are different.  Although I would stop short of saying propulsion issues are not in Carnival's control.  Still, it IS in the contract, so they didn't have to compensate what they did.....

 

Sometimes they're not in the cruise line's control. Think of some of these problems like you would a car. There are things you can notice starting to go wrong and there are things you can't know about until the happen. A couple of years ago I was driving along and my engine coughed twice then died because my fuel pump went out. It had given no prior notice that it was about to fail. Sudden failure can happen with most things mechanical. 

[jimbo5544]

34 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

There is a difference between what Carnival is "legally required" to do under their contract and what is the right thing to do/makes good business sense in terms of instilling good will in cruisers.  Missing two of three ports with no notice and the only compensation provided is $100 OBC would prompt me to reach out to Carnival. 

 

I think sometimes regular cruisers forget to put themselves in the shoes of others. Missing my 7th time in Cozumel would not be a big deal to me.  But if I missed two days of ports on my upcoming Norwegian Fjords cruise, when the #1 reason I chose that specific boat and sailing and flew halfway around the world and went through hell to get childcare for my kids for 10+ days was specifically because of the ports, and only was given $100 for OBC...heck, yes, I would be upset!  And while for many of us taking a cruise is an annual or semi-annual occurrence, for some people this is a once-in-a-lifetime event or, at least, something that is a big deal.

 

I also don't think $100 OBC is consistent with similar offers Carnival has extended at other times to cruisers. In my experience, I usually think of Carnival as going "above and beyond" in these circumstance...not merely doing what they have to under their "legal duty."    For example, the Dream out of Galveston was a day late getting in this past weekend due to fog--something completely out of Carnival's control. Thus, it left a day late and cruised to nowhere.  Supposedly, passengers were given a choice between not boarding and receiving a full refund, or boarding and getting a 50 percent future cruise credit and 50 percent refund. This is hearsay as I was not a passenger personally.  However, I have twice been given significant FCCs for canceled cruises -- one time canceled days before and received 100 percent FCC and 100 percent refund. Another time (with Mardis Gras), cancelled 10 months out and received 25 percent FCC (in my case over $1300) and $200 OBC and refund.  In none of the above circumstances was Carnival legally "required" to do what they did.  But they did anyway.  

 

 

The cruise was not cancelled.  

[Ocean Cat]

I’d be pissed. One port of call ok,things happen, but not two ports of call. Find another port that will allow you to dock. One of the main reasons ppl cruise is to visit several places , otherwise book a land vacation. 

[jimbo5544]

8 minutes ago, Ocean Cat said:

I’d be pissed. One port of call ok,things happen, but not two ports of call. Find another port that will allow you to dock. One of the main reasons ppl cruise is to visit several places , otherwise book a land vacation. 

The reasons people cruise have zero to do with what a cruise line does.  It is a business, they provide a planned itinerary and a room and food, for that they receive money.  Port cancellations happen all the time this time of year due to weather.   Mechanical things happen.  You can be pissed, sad, angry (mich better owrd) or disappointed.  You can call when you get home, go down to guest services and stamp your feet while on the cruise, whatever you like.   As stated before, Carnival went above and beyond.  I cannot tell from

 the ops post but it looks like Nassau was added.  

Edited January 19, 2020 by jimbo5544

[sfaaa]

$100 obc pp means $200 for a cabin of two. I would cash in the $200 obc and make it a cheap cruise.