Carnival Australia Faster to the Fun Misleading Pricing

[plettza]

I've got a cruise booked for next year and the other, I requested Faster to the Fun.  My sailing is a 10-night cruise.  The lady said it would cost me $175.  When I looked at the Carnival Australia (https://help.carnival.com.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/5033/~/faster-to-the-fun-(fttf)-au), it says 8-, 9-, and 10-night cruises cost $125.

 

Prices Starting From Per Stateroom	Cruise Durations
$50 AUD	3 day Weekend Sampler & 4 days to Tasmania
$75 AUD	4 days to Moreton Island and 5 days to Tasmania
$100 AUD	6 and 7 day cruises
$125 AUD	8, 9 and 10 day cruises
$175 AUD	11 and 12 day cruises
$200 AUD	13+ day cruises

 

 

I emailed Carnival and got a response from Miami stating that the price is a "from" price so the price they charged me stands.  The ACCC says you can't do that and have to sell at the lowest advertised price of withhold the item from sale.  There's no discrepancy due to region as the prices are listed as AUD; so in other words, it's not a USD price.  I know drip pricing and hidden surcharges are the norm in the US, but here we have clear legislation to prevent those practices.

 

The extra $50 FTTF costs over the advertised price is making think twice about the scheme's value.

 

What would you do in this instance?  Is it worth pursuing via the ACCC?

 

I also checked the pricing on another 10-night cruise and it too was $175 so this isn't a one-off price discrepancy.

[Chiliburn]

6 minutes ago, plettza said:

I've got a cruise booked for next year and the other, I requested Faster to the Fun.  My sailing is a 10-night cruise.  The lady said it would cost me $175.  When I looked at the Carnival Australia (https://help.carnival.com.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/5033/~/faster-to-the-fun-(fttf)-au), it says 8-, 9-, and 10-night cruises cost $125.

 

Prices Starting From Per Stateroom	Cruise Durations
$50 AUD	3 day Weekend Sampler & 4 days to Tasmania
$75 AUD	4 days to Moreton Island and 5 days to Tasmania
$100 AUD	6 and 7 day cruises
$125 AUD	8, 9 and 10 day cruises
$175 AUD	11 and 12 day cruises
$200 AUD	13+ day cruises

 

 

I emailed Carnival and got a response from Miami stating that the price is a "from" price so the price they charged me stands.  The ACCC says you can't do that and have to sell at the lowest advertised price of withhold the item from sale.  There's no discrepancy due to region as the prices are listed as AUD; so in other words, it's not a USD price.  I know drip pricing and hidden surcharges are the norm in the US, but here we have clear legislation to prevent those practices.

 

The extra $50 FTTF costs over the advertised price is making think twice about the scheme's value.

 

What would you do in this instance?  Is it worth pursuing via the ACCC?

 

I also checked the pricing on another 10-night cruise and it too was $175 so this isn't a one-off price discrepancy.

Is that per cruise or per night?
 

Cruise lines are the masters of false and misleading advertising.They have been doing for years and they get away with it.

 In America it’s rampant to the of fraud 

[By The Bay]

I doubt ACCC will get involved for the $50. Unless there is media coverage and more people involved. With the anti cruise ship coverage lately, maybe ACA could be interested.

[plettza]

I guess Carnival needs all the cash they can get 🤑

[plettza]

6 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Is that per cruise or per night?
 

Cruise lines are the masters of false and misleading advertising.They have been doing for years and they get away with it.

 In America it’s rampant to the of fraud 

 

No.  That price applies for the entire cruise per cabin.  So the total I got charged was just the $175.  But to me, that's the 11- and 12-day cruise price.

[Chiliburn]

Sounds to good to true.

 I would be very cautious about giving cruise companies any money .They are all on shaky ground.
Carnival is probably one of the best in a finance situation .The Saudi royal family just bought a big chunk of it .So they seem confident.

[Iainmac]

It could be in how you read it.  Is it a ten night cruise you are on or a ten day ?

If you are on a ten night cruise then it will be an eleven day one by the way the cruise line classes it.

$50 is a big jump in cost considering it is just a night onboard as you will be off next morning. 

[plettza]

It's a 10-night cruise, but Carnival don't class the last day as a cruise day.  On the cruise search area of their page, the cruise is displayed as a 10-day.

 

10 Days South Pacific from Sydney, Australia

Carnival Splendor

8 Feb, 2021 - 18 Feb, 2021

[GUT2407]

It does say from, a trick many companies use, not just cruise lines, sakes as discounts up to x%

[OzKiwiJJ]

Maybe it depends on what type nof cabin you booked, just like cruise fares which say from ... and the low price is the cheapest inside cabin.

 

Or it may depend on the embarkation port.

[MicCanberra]

5 hours ago, plettza said:

 

No.  That price applies for the entire cruise per cabin.  So the total I got charged was just the $175.  But to me, that's the 11- and 12-day cruise price.

The way I see it is which is what you have booked. 10 nights = 11 days.

[LincolnLegend]

I did a 10 night cruise with Carnival in March and we definitely paid $125 per cabin for FTTF. I think it would be worth asking them to relook at the amount you have been charged.

[The_Big_M]

It does say From. 

 

Many companies have variable pricing, or discounts "From." That's not illegal.

[vozzie]

I think you better sort out your days from your nights. You said its a 10 night cruise. That's 11 days. The 8th to the 18th is 11 days. The price seems right to me.

[OzKiwiJJ]

48 minutes ago, vozzie said:

I think you better sort out your days from your nights. You said its a 10 night cruise. That's 11 days. The 8th to the 18th is 11 days. The price seems right to me.

Cruise lines always state days and the final day is never counted, I just checked one of my bookings.

[plettza]

2 hours ago, vozzie said:

I think you better sort out your days from your nights. You said its a 10 night cruise. That's 11 days. The 8th to the 18th is 11 days. The price seems right to me.

My days and nights are pretty well sorted out.  According to my Cruise Manager on the Carnival website, for the purposes of the passenger contract, booking summary and cruise description, it all states the cruise is a 10-day cruise.  Carnival can't just turn around and say, "but becuase you're getting FTTF, we'll count that as 11 days so it'll cost you more."

Edited May 15, 2020 by plettza

[By The Bay]

16 minutes ago, plettza said:

 it'll cost you more."

It can cost you more because it is adverised as "From".

Edited May 15, 2020 by By The Bay

[The_Big_M]

A cruise itinerary is advertised as "From $799 for 7 nights". It doesn't mean every sailing on that itinerary is $799.

Edited May 15, 2020 by The_Big_M

[vozzie]

52 minutes ago, plettza said:

My days and nights are pretty well sorted out.  According to my Cruise Manager on the Carnival website, for the purposes of the passenger contract, booking summary and cruise description, it all states the cruise is a 10-day cruise.  Carnival can't just turn around and say, "but becuase you're getting FTTF, we'll count that as 11 days so it'll cost you more."

I may have been a bit harsh as I've had a look at a few bookings I have ...and there doesn't appear to be a lot of consistency. I have a P&O booked for "11 days"...but we will be on the ship for 12 days. We have a carnival one booked for "10 nights"...and once again we will be on the ship for 11 days. I guess its all in the interpretation. Obviously for FTTF...they count all "ship days".

[plettza]

31 minutes ago, vozzie said:

I may have been a bit harsh as I've had a look at a few bookings I have ...and there doesn't appear to be a lot of consistency. I have a P&O booked for "11 days"...but we will be on the ship for 12 days. We have a carnival one booked for "10 nights"...and once again we will be on the ship for 11 days. I guess its all in the interpretation. Obviously for FTTF...they count all "ship days".

 

I've only ever done 3, 5 and 8 nights with Carnival as well as a 12-nighter back in 2018 and the FTTF prices have matched up with the table.  It just seems this one is inconsistent as it's on the cusp of a 10 nighter and 11 nighter.

 

It's just that extra day is a discrepancy of $50 which makes me question its value.